George Ellis Hancock Hugh Rettie Emma Mactaggart

Geordie Tulloch

Eliza Plowden

Octavia Cobb

Anna Will

Arabella Bradley Emma Mactaggart

Frederick de Klee

Kirsty Landale

Octavia Cobb

John MacAulay

Alex Riley

Alex Riley

Arabella Bradley

Catherine Hocknell

Alasdair Bird

Catherine Hocknell

Anna Will

BELHAVEN HILL BUGLE

2006 - 2007

Published by Creative Link, North Berwick 01620 893690

The Front Cover Eagle was designed by John MacAulay

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Academic Awards ....................................................1Valete et Salvete .......................................................1Editorial ..................................................................3Form 5 .....................................................................4

John Muir Discovery Award ..................................4Bird Poems ............................................................5The Bossy Christmas Fairy - what the players really thought. .................................................................6Design Technology Anyone? Yes Please. ...................7Life in Form 5 at Belhaven Hill .............................8Postcards from Abroad ...........................................9Hieroglyphs ............................................................9Zoo Changes Supported by Form 5 Pupils ............10Saturday Art ........................................................12

Form 4 ...................................................................14York Trip .............................................................16SYMETRICAL TESSELLATION .......................184w’s Assembly .......................................................19Waitangi Day ......................................................19Design Technology ...............................................20Watch out - there’s a wasp about! .........................22Fours go Forth .....................................................24Viking Journey .....................................................25Art Gallery ..........................................................26

Form 3 ...................................................................28Form 3 and the Wonderful Water Wheel ..............28Science in Form 3 ................................................29In the Form 3 Design Technology Room ...............30Art Gallery ..........................................................32

Form 2 ...................................................................34Trip to the Alps ....................................................35An Unexpected Form 2 Trip .................................37The Threshold ......................................................38Fettes Quiz 2007 .................................................38It’s All History ......................................................39Art Gallery ..........................................................42

Academic Howlers ................................................43Belhaven Hill’s Orienteering Course ..................44A Victorious Day for Scotland ..............................45

Music at Belhaven .................................................46Form 5 Musical 2006 ..........................................46Dick Whittington ................................................46Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat 47Carol Service 2006 ..............................................48

Mansfield Music Cup 2006 ..................................48Living the Dream ................................................49Oliver ..................................................................51Summer Concert ..................................................54Music at Dunbar Day Centre ..............................54

Vale Mater Familias ..............................................55Gleneagles Riding .................................................56The Gardens ..........................................................57Form 1 ...................................................................59

Balloon Debate ....................................................59Walt Disney’s Balloon Debate Talk .......................60Mastermind 2007 ................................................61Winning Spoken English Competition entry ........62The Annual Trip to Hadrian’s Wall ......................63POST EXAM THERAPY ....................................64My First Christmas ..............................................65An Unorganised Christmas ..................................65The Disappearing Presents ...................................65Leavers’ Outward Bound .....................................66The Pole Climb ....................................................66Alnwick Castle .....................................................68The Voice .............................................................69Book Reviews .......................................................69

Leavers’ Profiles ....................................................72Senior Sailors ......................................................83

View From Australia .............................................87La Classe Française ...............................................89Sporting Results 2006 - 2007 ...............................91Netball ...................................................................93

1st Team ..............................................................932nd / Under 12 Team ..........................................95Under 11 Netball.................................................95Dandylions 2006 -2007 ......................................96

Rugby ....................................................................97Seasoned Seconds have Season’s Success Second to none ....................................................................97Under 9s ............................................................1001st XV Rugby 2006 ............................................100

Hockey ................................................................1051st Girls .............................................................105Under 12 Girls ..................................................106Under 11 Boys ...................................................106Under 10 Boys ...................................................107Under 9 Boys .....................................................107

Contents

1

Academic AwardsCongratulations to all who have passed into their senior schools, and particularly those

who distinguished themselves by winning awards:

Fergus Black Basil Hume Award to Ampleforth

Arabella Bradley All-Rounder Award to Fettes

Octavia Cobb All-Rounder and Art Scholarships to Queen Margaret’s, York

Harry Cobb General Scholarship to Oundle

Catherine Hocknell Scholarship to Queen Margaret’s, York

John MacAulay All-Rounder Award to Loretto

Eliza Plowden Scholarship to Queen Margaret’s, York

Anna Will Scholarship to Queen Margaret’s, York

Valete et SalveteThe other leavers in July 2007 were:

To Ampleforth: Patrick Arbuthnott, Geordie Tulloch

To Downe House: Emma Mactaggart

To Eton: James Wilson

To Fettes: William Cuthbert, Elliot Graves, Joell Holland-Jenkins, Christopher Ralph

To Glenalmond: David Dalrymple, Hugh Rettie, Patricia Walker

To Harrow: Frederick de Klee, Alexander Millar

To Marlborough: Alexandra Riley

To Oundle: Finn Curry, Cameron Hardie, Kirsty Landale

To Radley: Toby Moynan

To Sherborne: George Ellis-Hancock

To Shrewsbury: Alasdair Bird

To Uppingham: Henry Dobson, Antonia Ward

30 leavers in all to 14 different schools!

The following have joined the school in the year to July 2007:

Vanessa Riley, Beatrice Begg, Iona Brooks,

Olivia Dobson, George Innes Ker, Jamie MacDonald, Tosca Tindall, Amelia Cookson, Ewan Cunningham-Jardine, William Dirkin, Mairi Donaldson, Archie Douglas-Miller, William Ellis-Hancock, Angus Harley, Grizel Hocknell, Georgina Hope, Rosabel Kilgour, Will Plowden, Christian Thomson, Annabel Wailes-Fairbairn, Geordie Younger, William Younger, Geordie Gladwin, Sophie Benson, Ollie Farr and Kit Gordon Cumming.

In addition, Borja Loring and Jean de Bodinat joined us from France for the summer term and Antonio de Luna for its final few weeks. They brought the total number in the school to 124 (71 boys, 53 girls), of whom 103 were boarders.

2nd XI Boys .......................................................1091st XI Boys .........................................................109Strathallan Six-a-Side Tournament ...................111

Cricket.................................................................1131st XI Season Report ..........................................113Under 11 Cricket ...............................................1152nd XI ...............................................................117

Rounders .............................................................121Under 11 Rounders ...........................................121Under 12 Rounders ...........................................1211st Team Rounders .............................................122

Tennis ..................................................................123Golf .....................................................................124Athletics 2007 .....................................................126

Athletics Report 2007 ........................................126Athletics Picture Gallery ....................................127Angus Tulloch’s speech in reply to the Headmaster on Sports’ Day ........................................................130Sports Day Results 2007 ....................................131Swimming Report ..............................................133Swimming Gala .................................................134Leaders and Patrols ............................................135Prizes and Awards .............................................135

Old Pupils’ News ................................................137Engagements ......................................................139Marriages ..........................................................139Births ................................................................139Obituaries .........................................................139

Inspire.At Badminton we inspire every girl to realise her full potential. We know that bynurturing each child’s individual abilities, she will shine.

With just 400 day and boarding pupils on a stunning 20-acre campus in the heart ofBristol, our forward-thinking philosophy combined with small class sizes empowerseach and every girl to achieve personal excellence.

Our results speak for themselves. The March 2007 league tables ranked us fourth inthe country and one of the UK's top girls’ schools.

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• Muir Decorators Ltd is CITB Registered

3

Editorial

This year there is quite a lot of content that has already appeared on the school’s website, but there is a good reason for this. The website is for the present and although you are able to trawl through the pages to find articles and pictures from a while ago, there is nothing quite like having something in print.

So I make no apologies, for is it not a good feeling to pick off the bookshelf that magazine from long ago and flip through the pages being reminded of those childhood days now sadly gone? Therefore I hope that this edition will be avidly read now and then put away safely for those future browsing times that we all enjoy occasionally.

As there was new building going on last year at this time so there is this year also. The lodge at the School’s entrance has been completely renovated and Mr and Mrs Townshend, Joe and Lucy will be the occupants as from the end of August.

The leaving boys will no doubt be horrified to learn that the new senior showers and changing room is nearing completion - it always happens when you leave, doesn’t it? However, it will free up what has been for the past two years a rather crowded changing room and that will be no bad thing.

I would like to thank our advertisers, who continue to support this publication year after year. We are very grateful and if any of you readers do happen to get in touch with them - just let them know where you read about them!

My thanks also to all the contributors and especially for all those parents who showered me with photos of various events - without them this edition would have been a great deal thinner!

Right. Bedtime for the magazine - and for me!David Peek

Belhaven Hill Bugle

The EditorBelhaven Hill School

Belhaven RoadDunbar

East LothianEH42 1NN

Tel: 01368 862785Fax: 01368 865225

e-mail: davidpeek@belhavenhill.comweb site: www.belhavenhill.com

4

Form 5

This year saw Form 5 complete the John Muir Discovery Award

as part of their Science lessons. The award involved them Discovering, Exploring, Conserving and Sharing information about their ‘Wild Place’ within the school.

For the first part of the award, they took a visit to the John Muir Birthplace in order to find out a little information about John Muir.

Exploring the Shrub with Form 5 was fun. They made leaf rubbings and bark rubbings. They each chose a tree to find out about – measuring the tree trunk, the height, looking at the leaves, bark, and thinking about the animals which may live there.

Form 5 enjoyed looking for minibeasts in the shrub using Pooters, taking care not to ‘suck up’ the bugs by mistake.

Mr Wilson very bravely made some Bird Boxes with the form during their DT lessons, and these will be put around the school for next Autumn so the birds can have somewhere to nest.

Sharing what they had done, Form 5 presented the information to the school during an assembly as well as sharing the information of their work on the web.

At the beginning of June, a very proud Form 5 were awarded their certificates in recognition of their work.

Well done Form 5.

One of the bird boxes being constructed and hopefully will be used by the birds next year.

John Muir Discovery Award

Proud owners of the John Muir Award certificates.

5

The Gannet

January to August we see the Gannet,As it spends the winter Gliding o’er the sea.

Feathers soft as velvetIts beak is razor sharp As it catches fish for his tea.

Bright yellow head with small beady eyes.A dangerous glare andClaws for gripping prey.

Its body is enormous.The tail is long.Its wings are white to see.

Archie Douglas Miller

Nightingale

Nightingales are not pretty birds, But they like to sing and chirp.Hear its wings flapping softly,As it flies to greet its mate.Light brown feathers,A soft white breast andA steady tail for flight. It’s a beautiful sound To hear it sing so well.When it’s not singingIt might be eating,But its songs will make you smile.

Mairi Donaldson

The Black Guillemot

Striking black, Stirring white.Daring bird with a shocking flight. Diving gracefully into the sea,To catch yummy fish for tea.He looks like he’s flying when he swims under water.But he shoots back up with a big surprise!Landing on the rocky coast,Checking on the chicks so young.He feeds them scrumptious fish. When he’s troubled he will whistle and whistle, And wait for a hero to come

Amelia Cookson

The Dipper

Little brown dipper sits in a tree.Its beady eyes are watching me.Walking on the water.Playing in the sand.Curtsying on an open rock.Diving for the water shrimp.Jumping for the fly.Singing its sweat song until the day is gone.Then it flies back to its nest in the roots of a tree by

the river Grizel Hocknell

Kingfisher

Small kingfisherPerched on a branch,

Dazzling blue and orange.Suddenly dives into the waterCatching some fish for lunch!Long beak as sharp as an arrow,Small wings flapping fast.

Wills Younger

The Robin

Little robin red breast sits on a tree,Singing softly to the cool, soft breeze. He chirps and he chatters and he flit flut flutters. He likes talking, but only to me.

The robin has a red breast as you know, But when he is young it is gold. He has short, stubby legs and a tiny little beak.

And his eyes are razor sharp.

The clock strikes six. He flies away home. To his warm snug nest in a tree.He dreams all night of a wriggly squiggly worm.

Sophie Benson

The Puffin

Relaxed and comfortable underwater,As a flash of colourful stripesHits the water like a bullet!Orange and yellow beak bitesThe puffin wins the day.It makes a swim,To the shore So the young can feed on its prey.

Rosabel Kilgour

6

At first we were told our parts and given our scripts. We had loads

of rehearsals. My part was actually David but since Angus was ill, I had to do his part as well

Over half term Mrs Parks made some cardboard cut outs which were meant to be the nativity figures. There were also the gifts and the rejects’ box sign and Archie’s crown.

The scenery was one enormous

Christmas tree made by Miss Wimbledon. Our class made some green hands to go on as pine needles and Form 5 collected some bark for the trunk.

Then came the one, the only performance! At the beginning I felt extremely nervous, because I had to start the whole thing except for the song.

After the performance every single one of us was given a chocolate Santa! Poor Geordie, it felt like we were eating him!

Well it was worth it because then we got to go home. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Just to tell you, all the Girls wanted to be the Bossy Christmas Fairy. But there were other good parts as well like the Tinsel and the Chocolate Santa.

My favourite song was ‘Wrap me round the Christmas tree’.

William Ellis Hancock

The Bossy Christmas Fairy - what the players really thought.

The scenery was sticks and hands painted green which looked like a tree. There

was a sign post saying rejects’ box.In the rehearsal the Tinsel had a bit of a

croaky voice so we sang instead, but on the performance she sang a solo.

We went along to the sports hall in our costumes. When we went on stage Mrs Parks said, “Break a leg!”

We were excited because it was our first play at Belhaven Hill School. I did a robotic dance. I needed to be wound up again. My costume was a key with a snowflake. At the end we all came back to the class room and had a Chocolate Santa.

Rosabel Kilgour

At first the scripts were hard to learn off by heart. The first rehearsal was exciting

because we all wanted to have a go at our scripts. The dress rehearsal was fun because we all wanted to see each other’s costumes.

My costume was itchy. It was sheep’s wool. The scenery looked real from the back with real decorations. I was Joseph.

Unfortunately I was ill on the day so William Ellis-Hancock had to play my part. At least I got to do it in front of the rest of the school. At the end of the play everyone got a chocolate Santa and a video. But I had to wait until Monday.

Angus Harley

At first we were given our scripts and we were told which part to learn. It was

hard trying to learn all the words without looking at the sheet.

It was so exciting because this was our first play at Belhaven Hill. I was the Three Wise Men (Yes, all three of them) and I liked the part!

My favourite song was “Underneath My Shiny Wrapping Paper” because Geordie Younger is such a good singer. Geordie was a Chocolate Santa and my favourite character.

We had cardboard cut-outs of Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the three wise men.

Archie Douglas Miller

7

In the beginning the scripts were handed out and we found out our

parts. Believe me it was very hard at first. When I climbed onto the stage for Christmas Tree I looked down and I had a bird’s eye view.

I was Fairy Lights 1 and I even had real fairy lights which were blue and red. Every girl in our class wanted to be the Bossy Fairy, but I was happy about my part it was fun.

The costumes were amazing. I enjoyed seeing them for the first time. We had cardboard cut outs of nativity figures. David and Sarah had gifts. Geordie had little chocolate Santas, but they were not real! Rosabel had a cardboard cut out of a snowflake and a key.

The scenery was a Christmas tree made with real bark from a tree and green paper as hands for pine needles. I really enjoyed looking at the scenery it was bigger than me!

The performance went well. I was really nervous before it. No wonder there were about a hundred people there. Everyone was very good. After the performance we were all given a chocolate Santa to eat!

Annabel Wailes-Fairbairn

Design Technology

Anyone? Yes Please.‘I like Design Technology because you get to use tools like saws, hammers, nails and things like that’

Geordie Younger

‘I think Design Technology is great fun, especially making bird boxes and the sarcophagus. It’s really cool.’

William Dirkin

‘In Design Technology we are making bird houses and we have nearly finished them. It is going to be beautiful when they are finished. It is fun because you get to use tools like hammers and saws.’

Archie Douglas Miller

‘We have designed a box cityscape, a sarcophagus and a bird box in Design Technology. The bird boxes are really fun; we are about to stain them and put them up around the school grounds. I like using all the tools especially saws and hammers because it is very dangerous!’

William Ellis Hancock

‘It is great to have the opportunity to do Design Technology at Belhaven I couldn’t do it at my old school. I love it because you can express yourself.’

Ollie Farr

I have really enjoyed Design Technology in Form 5 because of the sarcophaguses that we have made and tower out of rubbish and the bird boxes. I have enjoyed using a saw, hammer, nails, wood and pliers.’

Will Plowden

8

Life in Form 5 at Belhaven Hill

In Form 5 we have a lot of fun. Sadly it’s nearly over for us, but we

have enjoyed it while we have been here.

We do a lot of working together in subjects such as English. In French, that’s the language we learn, we have a lot of fun especially at the end of term. Usually we start the morning by doing some quiet reading and then we do English or sometimes Maths.

We have fun with Mrs Gale who teaches us Science. This year we have done three topics. First we did John Muir, which I sadly missed because I came in the second term, then we did teeth and finally bones and muscles.

We are about to have Sports Day. Form 5 will do three events chosen out of the 75m, 200m, 400m, long jump and high jump. Also in sport we do netball for girls and rugby for boys, that is in the Autumn term. In the Spring term we do hockey and in the Summer term we do athletics, cricket, rounders and in P.E. we do football.

We start school at 8.30 in the morning and at 6 o’clock we have tea or we go home. So that’s our life at Belhaven Hill in Form 5 and if you’re planning on

coming make the most of Form 5 while you can.

Sophie Benson

My teacher is called Mrs Parks. She says there is a dragon in the loft in our classroom, but I don’t believe it. We do P.E. and it is very fun. In the summer we did high jump and we have Sports Day. In dorm it is very noisy!

Ewan Cunningham-Jardine

The good thing about Belhaven is the teachers are always friendly and forgiving. They are also very good at making the lessons more fun for us and Mrs Parks is a great Form 5 teacher because she knows everything about Belhaven and is always happy to help us.

The children in other years are also very nice. They show us where everything is. They also show us what to do most of the time. My favourite subject would probably be History because it is interesting to know what people used to do compared to what they do now.

Grizel Hocknell

Mrs Parks rushes everywhere helping people who are stuck and writing names

in the ‘Black Box’, especially mine! It’s always great fun in Form 5 with Mrs Parks around.

Mr Gale is very funny and always does fun stuff like hangman in French and he says questions for sweets. He also lets us go on Google Earth on his new interactive white board, which is excellent.

Mrs Gale is really kind in Science and always does fun things. Last Science lesson we got a supply of dirty water, which we cleaned using a funnel and funnelling paper which is paper that lets water go through with no dirt in it.

Mr Wilson teaches D.T. and P.E. which are both really fun. In D.T. we have just finished making bird boxes which will go up around the school grounds. In P.E. we are doing high jump

and the occasional game of football.Mr Spring teaches I.T. and we are

doing Colour Magic and learning how to move things from Learning Resources to our documents.

Everyone in the school is really nice. My class is nice and my dorm is excellent even though we sometimes get sent out on the corridor!

I wish I wasn’t leaving here. It is a really good school

William Ellis Hancock

Back Row: Ewan Cunningham-Jardine : Sophie Benson : Angus Harley : Mairi Donaldson : Ollie Farr : Grizel Hocknell

Centre: William Dirkin : Kit Gordon Cumming : Rosabel Kilgour : Archie Douglas Millar : Geordie YoungerFront Row: Wills Younger : Amelia Cookson : William Ellis-Hancock : Will Plowden : Annabel Wailes-Fairbairn : Christian Thomson : Georgina Hope

9

Hieroglyphs

This photograph shows a picture of a display of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Everyone in Form 5 has written their Christian name in hieroglyphs on papyrus. Which hieroglyph stands for ‘W’ then?

Postcards from Abroad

M C K I N N O N P R O J E C T S E R V I C E S

William McKinnon, MCIAT, is pleased to provide architectural services for a range of projects and wishes the School continuing success for the future.

21 Luffness Gardens, Aberlady, East Lothian EH32 OSHPhone 01875 870462

w.mckinnon@virgin.net

10

Zoo Changes Supported by Form 5 Pupils

Form 5 support the changes at Edinburgh Zoo in their Class

Assembly

Over the years, since 1913 when the zoo was first opened to the

public, people have changed their ideas and opinions about keeping animals in captivity.

How would you feel if you were head of a troop of chimpanzees living in the wild in a rainforest in Uganda, when along comes a zoologist who puts you in a cage and marches you off to Edinburgh Zoo?

Your troubles are only just beginning. You’ll have to spend the rest of your life behind bars, eating the same boring food everyday and these noisy two legged creatures with flashing cameras will come and laugh and gawk at you. Worse still, they sometimes dress you up in clothes and make you have a tea party. Yes, it’s true the chimpanzee’s tea party used to be a favourite at the Edinburgh Zoo. Somehow a tea party isn’t quite as exciting as living in the wild and teaching the youngsters how to extract termites from holes in the ground using sticks.

Zoos around the world are very different today. Edinburgh Zoo has a mission which aims to ‘inspire and excite the visitors with the wonder of living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species and habitats.’

We were certainly excited when we went on our Form Trip last Tuesday and it wasn’t just because we got to spend our pocket money in the gift shop! We knew words like conservation and habitat from

our science lessons with Mrs Gale and all the animals in the zoo are helping to save threatened species.

Anyway we each had an animal to look out for, so for now back to Archie with the chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees are very intelligent and close relatives of humans (Yes, that includes Mr Gale!) with around only 1 % difference in DNA… (DNA stands for Do Not Ask! so we can’t tell you what it means, but it’s something to do with the jeans!!)

In the wild, the chimpanzees have learned to use tools such as stones for breaking nuts, leaves for soaking up water and sticks for extracting termites from holes. The chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo have a state-of-the-art enclosure called the Budongo Trail and the zoo is currently involved in a conservation programme in Uganda.

Wills’ animal was the wolverine. Wolverines are skilful climbers and swimmers and they show no fear, even facing bears and wolves when scavenging

at a kill. But they have a secret. If you get too close you may get a chance to experience one of the worst smells in the world. Like a skunk they use anal gland secretion for defence!!

Sophie’s animal was the Chilean Flamingo. It is the only type of flamingo with a sharp, pointed beak. They also have the smallest feet, pink ankles and the thinnest legs. When it is asleep, it stands on one leg and it faces the wind. Why is it pink? The pink coloration comes from pigments, in the aquatic invertebrates they eat. All Form 5 had to know what ‘aquatic invertebrates’ were for the day we went to Pease Bay!

Grizel had to check out the bongo. Its homeland stretches from Sierra Leone in the west of Africa to the Kenyan Highlands in the east. The Bongo is usually shy, but very good looking. It is a beautiful chestnut colour with a white face and stripes on its body. The reason the horns are pointing back is so the bongo can move through the forest easily.

Angus looked for the Asiatic Lion. In

Edinburgh Zoo they have a small pride of Asiatic lions. In May this year they had four cubs, so that is good news. The lions are given STARVE days, because that is what it would be like in the wild. They have a big enclosure of grassland and a tiny bit of woodland. Asiatic lions are the only subspecies of the lion to exist outside Africa. There are only 250 in the wild today and they are found in one reserve in India so their future looks bleak. However, 200 of these lions live in zoos around the world and potential reintroduction sites are currently being considered.

Kit’s animal was the koala. They are possibly the laziest animals in the world as they sleep for 19 hours a day! It was awake when we got there, but it didn’t move.

Mairi’s was the sea lion. It was our first excitement when we arrived at the zoo. There are two swimming in a pool just by the entrance. In the wild the species rarely goes out to sea more than 10 miles and often they can be found in estuaries and harbours where there is lots of food and shelter. They are fast swimmers and can hold their breath for over an hour. They were playful and they looked happy swimming around as if they enjoyed us watching them!

Ewan’s two sea eagles were very big. They have sharp beaks and black talons. When we saw them, they stayed very still a bit like the lazy koala!

Annabel’s animal was the most endangered zebra. The Gravy’s Zebra now only exists in two places in Africa. They are the largest zebra and so hunters often prefer them. The stripes on their back are very narrow and the belly is

completely white. They eat grass, grass and grass all day long!

Will’s animal was the Amur Tiger. Undoubtedly, they are one of the most impressive animals at Edinburgh zoo. The first litter of three females was born in February 2000 and the second litter was born in March 2003. The Amur Tiger is the largest living cat in the

11

world, but in the wild the future of this tiger is precarious. Their habitat is being lost, the food (mainly deer and boar) are becoming scarce and poaching comes mainly from the trade in body parts for traditional oriental medicine still happens.

Wellish studied the golden-headed lion tamarind. The thing I liked about it was that it is a monkey that looks like a lion. It is the only primate that has claws, all the rest have nails or long fingers. Its scientific name means “Little monkey lion with a golden face.” They can live up to 15 years old. It eats fruit, nuts, nectar and animal prey. They are found in the lowland coastal rainforest of southeast Brazil. Sadly only 10% of this forest survives in this densely populated area.

Amelia studied the painted hunting dog which has an amazing social structure, with all the females helping to feed the pups from the top (alpha) female. They can have large litters of up to 20 puppies, but sadly these dogs are poached, trapped, snared, shot and hit by cars in the wild and some die from disease.

Georgina studied the ring tailed lemurs. They are one of several lemur species in the zoo. However they are possibly the most distinguished. They hold their striped tails above their bodies like a flag so they can see where other

members of their troop are.Christian’s animal was the Jaguar. It is

the largest cat in the Americas. It is like a leopard, but more muscular! It was very exciting. I saw it eat straight in front of me.

The One horned Rhino, Ollie’s animal, is critically endangered as there are only 2400 left in the wild. Edinburgh zoo have decided to concentrate their efforts on this species. Hunting and habitat loss are major threats to this rhino’s survival.

Rosabel enjoyed the King Penguin. It is the second largest species of penguin. Its habitat is the Barren Coast lands. Its life span is up to 20 years. It is a bird not a fish and it only has one egg. The

king penguin can hold its breath for 8 minutes. We watched a penguin parade. It was fantastic! I liked the penguin parade best. They waddle and I saw one go for a swim!

William looked out for the red panda. It is classed as a carnivore, yet it eats mostly plants! In fact its main food source is bamboo, a little bit like the giant panda. They have to eat loads of bamboo as there is very little energy in the plant. Also it is poisonous to other animals.

Whilst at Edinburgh Zoo we had

a lecture on ‘Teeth and Diet’. It was very interesting. We were shown lots of animal skulls and we had a chance to see their teeth and see what type of food they eat.

Over the next twenty years the zoo aims to create four habitat areas called BIOMES that hold species most in need of protection. These will be Grasslands, Woodlands, Oceans and Wetlands, Tropical rainforest. The zoo aims to get people involved in conservation.

Edinburgh Zoo is the largest and most exciting wildlife attraction in Scotland, committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, conservation and environmental education. We hope there is a brighter future for all the animals at the zoo and that some habitats can be saved and some animals reintroduced to the wild.

The Zoo Supporters with the collage they made for their Assembly

Time for a spot of lunch

12

Saturday ArtForm 5 and Miss Tod have been working with other youngsters from

Dunbar Primary on Saturday mornings. The following is a selection of their output.

13

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14

Form 4

During the Christmas Term Form 4 are introduced to the idea of atoms, in their first topic. A difficult

concept to take on board but here are a couple of pictures showing their ideas on Evaporation.

The Outer Planets stretching to the end of the 100m track.

The Inner Planets at the start of the 100m track.

Something which fascinates Form 4 is the Planets. When we cover the topic, it is difficult to visualise

how far apart the planets are from each other. So with different sized balls, Form 4 scaled down the Solar System to fit onto the 100m track. Here are some photos of the Solar System model.

Madelene Heywood

Freddy Rogers

15

Freddy Rogers

16

York TripA compilation from all the children’s

writing

On Monday, 23rd April, Form 4 went on their superb adventure

to York. We went on a train for 2 hours until we arrived at York.

When we got there we headed straight for Pizza Hut where we had pepperoni and margarita pizzas - I put so much

chilli on my pizza and it was so spicy!We went through the Shambles which

are some very thin streets to get to York Minster. There was this man who guided us around the Minster telling us how long it took to build and what happened to it. The man also told us that it could fit 5 whales in it if it was filled with water.

We saw the biggest stained glass window in the world and we got told

that there were 129 windows in the Minster. Some have names such as the Five Sisters and the main one called the Rose window. I thought they could have cleaned the Great Eastern Window because it was very dirty. I still loved York Minster.

Then we power-walked back through the Shambles to the Jorvik Viking Centre. When we went in the Time Machine there was a lot of shaking but then we suddenly stopped and a door opened. There was this person waiting for us and we were put into little buggies that took us around a Viking village.

It smelt really bad because someone was on the loo, so we all held

our noses.After the buggies we went back to

look around the rest of the centre. A man showed us how to make fire with iron and flint and little sparks of flames shot out.

We walked on and we found a lady who made coins and she showed us how to make them and how they bought things with them. If you went to a pub and wanted four barrels of beer you would have to use one whole coin; if you wanted three you would use three quarters of a coin; if you only wanted two you would use two quarters of a coin and if you wanted one you would have to use one quarter. To make them you would have to have a plain silver coin and a forging press. After that we went to a shop to buy some things with our money.

Then a walk to the train station to collect our luggage and we walked a very long way to the Youth Hostel and sorted out our beds.

The next day we went to the Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower. We were so high that we could see the Minster. We looked around lots of little amazing rooms, old time shops and dungeons. My favourite bit of the Museum was the street because it was a street from long ago and it had shops which you could

go into.Next we went to the National Railway

Museum where we saw the fastest train in the world - the Japanese Bullet Train. We could also do some interactive activities which were really fun. We also saw Queen Victoria’s Royal Train and had our packed lunch in a train carriage.

My favourite thing was a Carsiline Dandy which was a train but pulled

by a horse.From there it was a quick walk

to the train station and the return journey.

“Overall it was my favourite school trip in my life and I loved it.”

“I really enjoyed the York trip. It was so much fun. The

one thing I would have changed was to have a bit more time between the activities.”

“...the Greatest trip I ever had! But I wish we could stay at York for longer. It was so much fun.”

“I thought it was the best trip I’ve been on.”

“Awesome - and I’ll never forget it!”

17

Form 4 on the steps of The Minster

Jamie imagining what life must have been like

back then!

View of The Minster from

Clifford’s Tower

Archie discovering that Viking life is not all it’s cracked up to be!

Viking skittles anyone?

18

SYMETRICAL TESSELLATIONSYMETRICAL TESSELLATION

19

4w’s Assembly

On Friday 16th March, 4w did their assembly. The theme was

on Easter.First Mr Wilson asked for the reading

to be done and then he asked for the hymn to be sung. Bossy Mr Wilson!

Once the reading and the hymn had been done, Tosca, Iona, Rose and I did our own readings which were a good start to the assembly.

After that, we all did the most exciting part in the whole assembly - the Rap. The Rap was called the Easter Rap which was a very cool name for a rap!

The first verse went like this:

We’re here to tell you about Easter,EasterSo listen cool and be no foolLearn about Easter.

We sung it in a really American Rap voice. We all really enjoyed the Rap and we got a really big applause at the end of it.

Then we put our caps that we wore in the Rap on our chests and bent our

heads down for the prayers. We all had to go dead silent. After the prayers which Douglas, Archie and Olivia did, we all did a bow.

That was the end.Caspar Rogers

Waitangi Day

On Tuesday the 6th of February 4w celebrated Waitangi Day.

First we made headbands and we put Maori designs on them. Fitting them was quite hard as they were all the same size.

After that we had some New Zealand food like a special kind of chocolate which was quite gritty and crumbly. I really liked the lemonade which tasted

quite like lime and was called L and P.We watched a DVD which told us

about New Zealand. We saw the beaches and the cities.

We wore our headdresses all day and some of the next day.

Overall, it was a nice change from Comprehension Success and we all enjoyed it.

Tosca Tindall

Tucking into Waitangi grub - not a live one I hope?!

Waiting to perform ... ... the Hakka

All great fun - and no English lesson!

Mmmm - quite aggressive! Tosca looking worried in the background.

20

Design Technology

In Design Technology we have been making ice-lolly cars, bottle rockets,

straw bridges, theme boards and now we are making totem poles (can you spot them?) which are a lot of fun and we’ve stuck them around the grounds.

We design things and cut them out with saws. (This is hard!) But Mr Wilson is always there to help.

We like to have fun in Design Technology. We get a double lesson, but the best thing we have done is the theme boards, although every thing has been great fun!

The theme boards our class did were on sports, sweets, Egypt, pencils, bottles and other exciting stuff.

Olivia Dobson & Victoria Joicey

In Design Technology my two favourites are the Bottle Rocket and the totem pole. It is cool to do Design Technology since I never did it at my last school.

Lachie Hardie

The new style Fish Rocket?

Ready for launch.

T h e m e B o a r d s

Bridging the gap

The double layer version - twice as much traffic.

Is it a Triffid?

You keep holding it together and I’ll smile!

21

Lollipop cars

How long do I have to sit here holding it all together? Mmmm! I think that goes there. Looks alright!

Are you sure you’ve not glued the axle to the wheels? It doesn’t seem to move! So good when it all works out fine in the end.

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Sport at belhaven

At Belhaven we do sport,Netball, rounders, hockey are taught.Athletics here, cross country there,Try the 1500, do you dare?

At Belhaven we do sport,Rugby, cricket, hockey are taught.Long jump here, high jump there,Try the discus, do you dare?

At Belhaven we do sport,Everyone here enjoys to be taught.P.E. here, swimming there,We all love sport, it’s a talent we share!

Rose Greville WilliamsIona Brooks

Cricket Term

Cricket is a great gameRocketing balls go flying highInnings ending in a rushCatches going all the timeKind bowlers give you sixesEvery bowl can be a wicketTaking risks is what we do

Teaching us is Mr. PinchinEnormous shots go flying highRunning fielders trying to stop the foursMaybe we won, I think we have.

Dougal ForsythAlasdair Johnston

Watch out - there’s a wasp about!

23

Lachlan Hardie with the wasps’ nest. Anyone for football?

The beautiful patterns and striations on the nest’s surface. All constructed from regurgitated wood pulp by the wasps.

The entrance to the inner sanctum. The tunnels branch rather like the bronchial tubes in your lungs.

The inside revealed. Notice the fine pillars that hold up each ‘floor’ rather like a multi-storey car park and reminiscent of some Gaudi architecture. Those wasps are incredible and one of nature’s master architects, so

next time you’re about to swat one - maybe don’t!

24

On Thursday, 28th June, 4w set off to Forth Radio station with

Mr. Wilson driving the White bus. Mr. Johnston took some of the boys in his car. It took about 45 minutes to get there but the time passed very quickly because we were all very excited.

When we arrived we waited a few minutes and then a lady came and took a group of half the class. She took us into a little sound-proof room to hear her recording the news.

We were in the room for about 5 minutes and then the other half of the class came in and we came out.

When everyone came out of the room we went to hear someone being interviewed. It got interesting so we went to see a DJ called Grant, but his nickname was Mr. Pants! He was live on

Forth Radio and said, “I have Belhaven Hill School with me today.” Then he said, “Say Hello!” and we all shouted “HELLO!” He then showed us some of his sound effects.

After that we went upstairs and made our way to the buses, got in and drove to the Botanic Gardens and walked to

the Pringle Chinese Gardens to have our lunch. Ice creams followed and then we made our way back to school.

4w really enjoyed the trip. Thank you Mr Johnston and Mr Wilson, we had a great day.

4w Girls

Fours go Forth

Four W go to Forth One and Mr Johnston joined us

Our teacher Mr Wilson drove us in the busRadio was going live and 4W were talkingThe teachers back at school were making quite a

fussHere we are after the show returning to the bus

Running to the gardens, people feeding ducksAt the Chinese Hut we eat our lunchDown by the cafe we have our ice-creams, then we

play bulldogs and find ourselves in rucksIn the end we were exhaustedOh what a day we had

Thank you Forth One

25

Viking Journey

As the boat was pushed from the shore I thought about the future

that lay ahead of me. Is leaving Norway, my home land, the right thing to do? We were the next people to go to a land far away. This is going to be a brilliant journey with our

longship in Europe with the bravest men on this ship. I was very excited but will the gods Odin and Thor look after us on this journey? The bad thing about this journey is Loki is going to play tricks on us so that is disappointing and leaving home and

my family is very sad.Now we have a nice wind pushing our

big sail and we are having 5 week old bread and our captain has been sick over board. I feel so sorry for him. Someone has frost bite and I am getting skinnier than before.

We head the wrong way, so we have to take a detour, which is not good and Thor has whacked his hammer to make a storm. We are praying to him to stop. The storm stopped suddenly, he had forgiven us. It wasn’t Thor, though, but Loki the trickster God.

I am rowing the boat and my hands are bleeding because the wood is sticking into my hands. Someone shouted, “Land ahead”. I stood up and saw a fjord like one at home and all of the ship was celebrating but there was a big chunk of rock in the way of our longship. We were in trouble as we had nothing to stop us crashing. The captain shouted, “Row, row, row”!

Nobody was afraid of crashing into the rock. We were already thinking about our farms on this land. Now we can bring our families and live an easier life. When we got past the rock we had to pull our boat over the land to the clean

water and row to the end of the loch. There was a town. Time for invasion.

Our captain told us that two ravens are here so Odin is watching over us. We waited until night and crept up to the shore, we went a bit closer and saw candles burning in a building called a church. People were praying in the church. We stopped and on the count of three we charged. I ran like a wild man and when I saw someone I killed them with my battle axe. Then the big bit came, the church. I opened the door, people were screaming. We stole their gold and raided the village.

We can now build our farms and we thank Thor for a safe journey.

Archie Rettie

The Viking Longboat Seaworthiness Test

Some of the Longboats in dry dock

Ready for launch with a fair wind ...

... and ‘oarsome’ power

A gentle guiding push from the harbour wall

Adrift at last on the long journey across

the sea to New Lands and raids!

26

Art GalleryUnfortunately no names were submitted for the art work on these pages. But never mind - just enjoy the creativity of this age group.

27

28

Form 3Form 3 and the

Wonderful Water Wheel(Form 3 visit the Falkirk Wheel)

On Friday 1st June, Forms 3g and 3p left Belhaven to embark on

their magical mystery tour. Having been led to believe they were headed for a tour of the local sewage works the buses ended up at the Falkirk Wheel.

Arriving at Falkirk in the hot sun, Form 3 had some fun on the play park before setting off on their boat trip. With the sun beating through the glass roof, we waited patiently for the 15 minutes it took for the boat to displace the water from the ‘gondola’. The wheel then moved slowly from the basin to the top of the wheel. Just taking 4 ½ minutes to turn. A short boat trip through a rather low and narrow tunnel and then

to a large area to turn we headed back to the wheel. An amazing sight as the boat sat in the ‘gondola’ of water high above the ground and the wheel turned to take us down to where we started. With Katya asking the all important question of “How long have you worked here?” to the guide, it was time to leave the boat and find some lunch.

Allowing our lunch to settle we then had a few games and with Peter and Iona winning the chariot race we decided upon a form relay. Mr Pinchin had obviously visited the picnic site before as he knew exactly where 3p and 3g should line up for the relay! As a result 3p won the relay as their track was a lot less bumpy than 3g’s track! As we left Falkirk we did actually drive past a sewage works but we didn’t manage to stop – sorry Mr Peek.

The sun was still out as we arrived at Gullane beach. Everyone

went into the sea for a quick dip to cool off whilst Danni and Ashley, who have obviously not yet acclimatised to the lovely Scottish weather, stood huddled together like two penguins with their towels wrapped around them!

The rain soon moved in as Form 3 dried off and the girls soon realised that wearing ‘skinny fit’ jeans to the beach was not really a good idea. We headed back to school for some warm showers and a good tea.

Mr Pinchin and I had a great day out with Form 3, who proved to be a delightful and entertaining group. Receiving comments for their superb behaviour on the boat trip, they certainly kept us amused with their conversations and their singing!

The Form 3 Crew

We thought the sea was supposed to be blue,

not us!

Forget the Wheel - the Slide is just the thing!

Waiting for the Slide or the Wheel? Doesn’t matter. It’s all great fun! Cooling off in the North Sea.

29

Science in Form 3

One of the many investigations this year involved Form 3 making Balloon Cable Cars to investigate Energy

Transfers.Here are a few photos of them completing the task and a

method showing what they had to do.

30

In the Form 3 Design Technology Room

In the D.T. room we started doing Stained Glass Windows. We chose

which partners we would like to go with and then scribbled our design on a piece of paper and put it on the window and coloured it in on the glass.

Unfortunately, it was a bit cold and the Stained Glass Windows rubbed off the colour and it smudged and went all wrong! Maybe in the summer term it might work!

Another topic was the Newspaper Towers which was great fun! Our aim was to reach the ceiling of the D.T. room and for it to stay there for five seconds and had to be

just made out of masking tape and newspaper. Most of them fell down and certainly we could do better next time!!

Our last topic to date has been to make a rocket

and to put a firing tube that makes it fire up into the sky. I think we all designed these very well! We had to use off-cuts and junk from the recycling area to make our rockets. Let’s hope that our plan works this time!

Sophie Robertson

Tooth pick shacks were an interesting and fiddly task. This

is where we made cottage ruins out of toothpicks and blue-tac. This task was one I felt I wanted to do too much complicated building.

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32

Art GalleryForm 3 have been studying chairs. They could have tidied them up before they painted them!

Different media were used: charcoal, paint and pastel.

Claudia Black

Emily Stewart

Vanessa Riley

Honor Douglas Millar

Eritrea Willoughby Daisy Greville Williams

33

Iona Ralph Vanessa Riley

Daisy Greville Williams Claudia Black

Rory Barnes

Lydia Dalrymple

34

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James Cochrane

James GladstoneSophie Gordon Cumming

Victoria Erskine

Form 2

35

Mon voyage

En France je suis allé à la Mer de Glace. C’était magnifique et très grand.J’ai bien aimé le barrage d’ Emosson. La vue était super.Je n’ai pas aimé les slips de bains; c’était drôle mais embarassant! J’ai mangé de la tartiflette le vendredi soir. C’était génial.On n’a pas parlé français souvent, dieu merci!

Alexander Swanson

Trip to the Alps

Notre séjour en France

Le jeudi quatorze juin, on s’est réveillé à quatre heures. On a pris l’avion pour Genève avec nos amis. Le voyage a duré deux heures et demie. Puis, on a pris le car pour aller à Chamonix. On est resté une semaine au Buet, près de Vallorcine.

Le premier jour, il y avait beaucoup de pluie. Alors, on est allés à la piscine, et on a dû mettre des slips de bains minuscules!! C’était nul!

Le deuxième jour, il a fait beau et chaud, alors, on est allé à la Mer de Glace. C’était très intéressant et très grand! L’après-midi, on a visité le barrage d’Emosson. C’était énorme!! Après ça on a fait une bataille de boules de neige.

Le Lendemain matin, on est montés au Brévent en téléphérique. On a vu le Mont Blanc. On a mangé un pique-nique et on a acheté une glace, c’était délicieux! Le soir, pour le dîner, on a mangé des spaghetti à la bolognaise. C’était très bon et j’ai adoré ça!

Le Lendemain matin, on a visité le musée de Barberine. À deux heures vingt, on a pris le train pour les gorges de Trient, en Suisse. C’était très profond et très étroit.Ce soir-là, on a fait une boum de « mauvais goût ». Tout le monde avait l’air vraiment stupide et c’était très amusant ! On est allés au lit à dix heures.

Mardi matin, on s’est réveillés à six heures et on était très fatigués. Puis on a pris l’avion pour Edimbourg. On est arrivés à midi.

Le séjour était vraiment super et on s’est bien amusés.

Jamie Kelly et James Cochrane

Mon Premier Jour à Chamonix

J’ai bien aimé ma visite à Chamonix et mon séjour au Chalet Skiroc avec mes copains. On est partis d’Edinbourg le quatorze juin à sept heures vingt. On est arrivés à Genève à dix heures et demie. Il faisait assez bon et il faisait chaud. On a pris le car pour aller au Chalet. Pour le déjeuner, j’ai mangé du pain, du poulet et des pâtes. J’ai bu de l’eau. Puis, on a vu une cascade, c’était génial parce que c’était énorme ! Le soir, pour dîner, j’ai mangé des frites, des saucisses et de la salade, c’était vraiment bon. Après, on a dansé et c’était vraiment cool ! Puis, on est allés au lit parce qu’on était très fatigués !

James Gladstone

With a backdrop like that, the food must taste great!

36

The Emosson DamThe water below was blue and clear

Beth said to herself, “Oh dear, oh dear,I am considering jumping off

The Dam is big enough, cough cough.”Miss Cowan said, “Don’t you dare,You’re here to learn and not to stare.The Dam is hydroelectric powered.”

But Beth with a laugh said, “Oh you coward!Hint hint, the climbing wall is over there.”

“YOU’RE HERE TO LEARN AND NOT TO STARE!It was built in ’74.”

“Oh dear, oh dear, what a bore!This is no History lesson you know,

I want to leap, I want to go!”With a cheery wave Beth said, “I’m off!”And now she’s in bed with a nasty cough.Even though Beth is completely insane

I do have a pointShe has no brain!

Claire JoiceyBeth FletcherConnie Begg

Chamonix Le 14 Juin, 19 élèves sont allés à Chamonix en France.

Nous avons pris l’avion à Edimbourg. On a logé au Chalet Skiroc à Vallorcine.

Quand nous sommes arrivés, nous sommes allés à une cascade. C’était vraiment super parce qu’on est passé derrière !

Vendredi, parce qu’il pleuvait, on est allés à la piscine.

Samedi, on a vu la Mer de Glace et le barrage d’Emosson.

Dimanche, on est allés dans le centre de Chamonix et nous avons fait des courses. Nous avons acheté des souvenirs pour nos familles. C’était génial !

Les jours suivants, on a visité beaucoup de musées, et lundi après-midi on est allé voir les Gorges de Trient.

Mardi matin, on a pris l’avion pour Edimbourg, où on a retrouvé nos familles.

Les vacance, étaient fantastiques et très intéressantes.

Claire Joicey et Victoria Erskine

I gather there was a Bad Taste Party on the final night. No comment needed here, then!

37

An Unexpected Form 2 Trip

Our trip was unexpectedTo the places where we went.

There were rumours of The BreweryBut we were there not sent.

We were to go round Bass RockBut the water was too rough

So we went up North Berwick Law instead

And the climb was kind of tough.

Energy expended we were all quite hungry

We could all smell fish and chips,So we ran back down (getting out of

breath)With the taste of them on our lips.

Although we were really tiredWe still had more to come.

We were going toStadium Murrayfield

But not to watch a scrum!

At last we finally arrivedand shown round by a guide

Whom we admit was quite alrightThough we had to his rules abide.

The end of the day came so soonIt was as if the time had run away

From all Form 2 to Peek and HarveIt was a fantastic day!

Claire Joicey & Victoria Erskine

North Berwick Law - an accurate representation by Claire Joicey. The two stick figures are probably Peeky

and Harvey struggling up the hill!

Yes, that’s right, Rachel - it’s the big bump behind them!

Yes. That is, indeed, the Calcutta Cup - the one that was footballed

down Princes Street many years ago. Mr H obviously ecstatic that his Scottish hand is

holding it.He was extremely

reluctant to relinquish the trophy!

38

Fettes Quiz 2007

Three intrepid Form 2s, including one Belhaven mastermind

champion and one finalist, travelled to the Fettes quiz listening to ‘Horrible Histories’ and with nervous

anticipation of what was to follow. With several other teams from the surrounding area competing it was always going to be tough. And so it proved.

Beth Fletcher, Claire Joicey and Rachel Gladstone started extremely

well, and with two rounds completed were sitting in joint second place. But with a number of large schools entering, the pace became tough later on, and the team did extremely well to finish in fifth place overall, beating all of the other prep schools in the competition.

JP

The Dolphins of Laurentumby Caroline Lawrence

This fully action-packed, fantastic Roman novel is completely

unputdownable.It is set in the small town of Ostia

and the rich house, Laurentum Villa, in October A.D.79

Following the arrival of a ragged man at her house, and the prospect of leaving her home forever, Flavia Gemina, and her three friends, Lupus, Nubia and Jonathan, are transported to a rich

house, Laurentum Villa. When they discover a sunken wreck full of treasure, they are determined to seize it. That is, until they discover that someone else is after the treasure as well! During all this they realise that Lupus has something terrible to tell them.

Flavia is the ‘leader’ of the group. She is very bossy, and determined to solve any mystery or puzzle. I like her for her cleverness and skill at working out puzzles, but I think she is too bossy.

Lupus is the main character in this story, and he has a dark and terrible secret. I admire him for his bravery in

this book, because whenever he starts something he always sticks to it until the finish.

This is definitely the best book I have ever read. It is action-filled and hair-raising with no weak bits at all. I think Caroline Lawrence is an excellent writer, and when I read her books, I cannot get away from them.

Will Lupus’ secret be revealed? Is Venalicius really as bad as he seems? What happens to Delphinus? If you like stories of Roman life and mysteries then pick up this book and start reading!

Claire Joicey

The Threshold

Standing terrified on the threshold of the chamber, I watch with wide

eyes, as Mother hugs me, maybe for the last time. I whisper, “I don’t want you to go, please stay here with me.” She looks up and back over her shoulder at me, as the moustached guard pushes her roughly inside.

Sweat drips down my shaved head

and my mind is racing. I look down into the long, dark room which burned the bodies. I can almost feel the heat of the fires on my face. Suddenly, my mind stops running and I realise that I am left with only two choices. Either to let myself be led into the chamber and be reunited with Mother, or stay out here in the cold and watch the flames and smoke belch out. I look up into the sky and wonder helplessly which to choose.

My face blinded by tears, I step one pace into the chamber and inhale the intoxicating smell of gas. Suddenly the guard comes up behind me and speaks to me in quick German. I nod and follow him inside. At that moment, time itself starts to slow down. In my head, I am already united with Mother.

Only a few more steps. “Don’t worry Mother,” I think. “I’m coming.”

Rachel Gladstone

Max Barnes

Borja Loring

39

It’s All History

Form 2 wrestle with the problem of why the Peasants were Revolting. James Gladstone’s colourful history book contains some clues as to where things went wrong. The Editor is once again indebted to their History teacher for

asking for its inclusion the day before publication - anything for the History Department!

40

41

Form 2 were asked, as part of a Geography topic, to produce a news sheet about a famous Earthquake. Here is one example.

42

Beth Fletcher

Dhileas Heywood

James Cochrane

Jamie Kelly

Lucy Coleman

Max Barnes

Rafe Seymour

Art GalleryThe major theme this time seems to be trees! But each child sees the same trees

slightly differently, as the crop below shows. Other trees planted elsewhere!Media used are ink, paint and pastel.

Ella Coleman

43

Academic Howlers

Once again pupils at Belhaven have not disappointed their

hard-worked teachers by producing another load of well-meaning rubbish!

Their efforts never fail to elicit giggles and wry smiles around the staff room table. Where would our sanity go if it weren’t for the noble strivings of pupils to put down on paper what they think is

a brilliant answer?Long live these wonderful

outpourings!A. Teacher

Suggest two characteristics of mammals which you would expect seals to have.

1. hair2. sweet little face

Suggest why it is important that hospitals are kept clean.

So the patients don’t fall ill.

Describe a food chain in a habitat you have studied.

“In the habitat we found many animals. We found pond skimers, tad polls and many other plants ...”

Give a reason why water evaporates more slowly from the ground in the wood than from the hillside just above it.

Because the Sun is closer to the hill.

Where does water go when it evaporates?

Heaven

“If the female had as many eggs as men have sperm it would be chaos.”

“Because of global warming the sun will blow up in 100 000 years”

What apparatus does the diagram below stand for?

= tricycle

During a trip to Edinburgh Zoo a young Form 5 pupil was seen peering into an apparently empty cage. She turned and said, “I can’t see it anywhere.” On being asked what it was that she was looking for, she replied, “The Temporary Vacancy!”

Simple questions that simply baffle:“What time is 5 o’clock?“Where is here? (looking desperately at

an orienteering map)

One of the Junior Forms was covering road safety as part of their PSHE and had to label road signs to show their knowledge. (How many of them can you correctly label?)

Cyclist nearby Lots of corners ahead

Hills ahead or mountains

Walk on pavement cobbles

Bottles ahead 20% of road missing

20% of cars going uphill

Church Dead endPrivate Road

Parking for cars and bikes

Do not stop at this point

You can speed up

KNOWESFARM SHOP

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Local and Scottish gamePoultry, fish & cheesesHome-baking & breads

Ready meals, pies & puddingsMany more treats in store

1 mile E of East Linton, access from A 198 and A 199

TEL: 01620 860010 OPEN EVERy DAy9.30 - 5.00

44

Belhaven Hill’s Orienteering Course

Those of you who have visited the school recently may have come

across white and red wooden plaques with a hook on, stuck to a tree, door or post in the school grounds.

These are not surveyors’ reference points for developing the site into another nuclear power station, but in fact are some of the 25 orienteering points that make up a course within the

grounds of the school.This facility has proved useful on

wet weather days (Mrs Roddis and the laundry ladies disagree!). It can involve large numbers of children put into small teams charged with using map and memory skills to run to designated points and then back to the control point. At the control point a team must quote a twelve digit sequence hung on the hook at the beginning of the activity. This recital proves the team have been to a certain point and then they are sent to the next point. This activity demands

lots of energy, cohesive teamwork, memory skills and is exceptionally useful as a leadership exercise.

The map below was developed for this purpose but is already out of date following the refurbishment of the lodge at the front gate!

All the same, the activity has proved popular with the pupils and they have not yet realised that during a session they actually run further than they do on the dreaded Thursday run!

Mr H

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A Victorious Day for Scotland

It was a dreary day but high excitement was buzzing around the

school. Today was the day Scotland were due to play Wales.

By the time the Eves coach came, Mr Harvey had already told us to put on three layers of clothing, minimum. Some people even wore pyjama bottoms under their trousers! As you can tell it was pretty cold.

By the time we got to Murrayfield most had taken off some outer layers revealing our blue and white Scottish rugby tops and would have bet all of our pocket money on who would win.

We took up our seats in the north stand and watched the two teams warming up with the anticipation of another crushing defeat because Wales were looking on top form.

The first half was brilliant to watch

and the girls were showing off their true Scottish patriotism while the team showed off their initiative and determination with amazing kicks from Paterson and rock solid defence that lasted through the second half. Occasionally the Scots would burst through the Welsh defence only then to be tackled by the fullback. This play was often repeated by both teams. Both teams presented great passing and tackling which was proved by many try chances for both teams which never came through.

All of the Belhaven pupils left for the stalls before the first half was over. This was a very clever move because the wait was a bit shorter but Mr Harvey didn’t like it because we got in his way.

The second half was just as tense as the

first with Paterson just as good with the kicks. The Welsh looked very menacing during the second half but giving away a couple of stupid penalties ended up in giving away the match.

Belhaven Scottish RugbySupporters’ Club

... and the two on the right aren’t even Scottish!

Oh dear! Wales must have scored (Hooray! Ed) but the Scottish supporters soon begin

to smile ...

...

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46

Music at Belhaven

Form 5 Musical 2006THE BOSSY CHRISTMAS FAIRY

Choosing a musical for Form 5, in the middle of the long summer

holidays, when you have no idea of their capabilities, is always a ‘shot in the dark’! This year was no exception especially when there were more parts

than actual pupils! However, Mrs. Parks and Mrs. Owenson always manage to work round these minor problems and this was certainly the case for ‘The Bossy Christmas Fairy’.

The story is very simple but easily adapted to suit the needs of a larger or smaller group and with speaking parts which can also be extended to take account of varying abilities within a class. Staging the performance is straightforward and props and costumes not hugely demanding. Once again we were very grateful to all the parents who contributed costumes for their children and to Miss Wimbledon who designed

the backdrop and persuaded her pupils to execute it – truly ‘many hands ‘make light work (or actually as it proved to be ‘very heavy ‘work!). Mrs Parks, too, demonstrated her artistic talents by designing and making the Nativity statues which were very effective.

Most of this year’s Form 5 were good singers, so choosing soloists was not a problem! In fact almost anyone in the

form could have taken a solo if there had been enough to go round and they proved to be a talented bunch of actors, too, as they told and acted out the story very competently. Most memorable, I think, would have to be Amelia Cookson in her ‘Tinsel’ outfit with her song and dance routine which was great fun and impressed everyone. Other members of the form all had important parts to play. They were: Geordie Younger as the ‘Chocolate Santas’, William Dirkin and Wills Younger as the ‘Baubles’ and Will Plowden and Annabel Wailes-Fairbairn as the ‘Christmas Lights’ and the ‘Dancing Snowflake’ – Rosabel Kilgour. The Nativity Figures were moved around by suitably clad pupils

– Mairi Donaldson (Mary), Angus Harley (Joseph), Christian Thomson and Ewan Cunningham-Jardine (the Shepherds) and Archie Douglas-Miller (the Three Wise Men) and all were under the ‘organisation’ of the ‘Bossy Fairy’ – Grizel Hocknell, who proved that she could have withered the cast, at a hundred paces, with just one look! She really got into the part which was quite

demanding. William Ellis-Hancock (David) and Georgina Hope (Sarah) were the children who finally made sure that the Christmas tree was decked out as it should be with all the decorations in their correct places and that the true meaning of Christmas was understood by everyone.

We all worked really hard and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was great fun to do and the children had a wonderful time, as well as providing some good entertainment for other pupils, staff, parents and friends.

RO

Dick Whittingtona production by Forms Three and FourAutumn 2006

For some, a play is a chance to shine, to perform, if you like to

do it, while for others it can be the most terrifying experience in the world to stand on a stage and have a great many people watching what you are doing and not being able to slink into the shadows and go unnoticed.

Fortunately, this year’s forms three and four was very heavy on the first type of child, and it showed.

Despite illness, Will Jack played the title role expertly, helped along by a very willing and talented cast of actors and singers. Iona Ralph, as the gypsy, sang with great confidence and panache, while Katya Thomson, as the African Queen sang, as her position befitted, with poise and dignity. Lachlan Ferrand amusingly led his band of rats onto Whittington’s ship, and really grew into

his role as rehearsals went on.As with all good shows, there were

a great many individual moments – the tinker, tailor, cobbler and barber were all extremely energetic about the importance of their respective trades, and the form four dancing girls ‘on the beach’ with the African queen swinging and swaying were also a highlight.

This was a really successful show for all concerned, and whether a cat or a rat, a rower or a towns person all performed well to make it so. Well done.

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour DreamcoatA Form 2 Production

This year’s form two production saw a

relatively small year group produce a timely and polished performance of ‘Joseph’ – timely because of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ongoing televised search

for an unknown to play the title role in the West End and polished because in the time available for rehearsal Form 2 acquitted themselves well.

James Cochrane as Joseph grew in confidence with each rehearsal until the final performance, where his singing was excellent and he had become a real presence on stage. Max Barnes was superb as Pharoah, slick Elvis-style haircut and all, while the chorus girls kept everyone on their toes, particularly the exuberant Beth Fletcher.

Joseph is, of course, an incredibly colourful show, and its success is down

in no small part to the set design of Lucy Wimbledon and to the efforts of children and parents alike in providing colourful and interesting costumes. Final thanks of course to Mr Gale for his musical expertise.

Well done Form 2.JP

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Carol Service 2006

I am sure that the saying, ‘Christmas comes but once a year’ is in danger

of becoming ‘Christmas comes but twice a year’- so quickly does a year go by! Even the pupils have noticed that time seems to be passing more quickly and the start of the Christmas season is now well established by the Carol Service in Belhaven Parish Church, which is enjoyed each year by a large number of parents, friends and members of the local community.

This year’s service was held on Saturday 9th December at 11:30 and the traditional solo for ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ was sung by Patricia Walker, with the choir singing the second verse before the congregation joined in with the remainder of the hymn. The Rev. Laurence Twaddle again welcomed everyone and led us in prayer before the first lesson was read by a member of Form 5. To be the first to read at this occasion must be very daunting and yet each year some small individual stands at the lectern and delivers the reading with clarity and great expression. The ensuing readings are delivered with similar confidence by a member of Forms 4, 3, 2 and 1 and also the Head Boy and Head Girl. There is no doubt that the church’s microphone system is an advantage in allowing us to hear clearly what is being said, but equally it could also show up

any flaws – thankfully this is not the case for our pupils who always manage to read very clearly.

As well as the readings, singing is a very important part of this service and everyone in the school takes part. The choir take on the majority of the work, but the Junior Singers also have a part to play and this year their songs were an arrangement of ‘Away in a manger’ (by Richard Graves) and the lively ‘Calypso Carol’ (words & music by Richard Graves). The juniors are always keen and try very hard to match up to the seniors, but this year there were a greater number of real singers among them and the sound was quite impressive. They always enjoy their singing and it certainly showed this year – clarity of words and great concentration as well as some smiles. What more could we ask for?

The choir had been busy rehearsing a variety of carols in different styles and delivered them confidently. First was ‘Carol of the Bells’ (Peter Jenkyns), a bold opening song imitating the sound of church bells and then ‘Sweet Bells of Bethlehem’ (C.K.Offer) a gentler song, in landler style and it soon became obvious as to why its subtitle is ‘Carol of the Instruments’, there being no fewer than thirteen instruments mentioned throughout the song! The choir’s next two songs were both Spanish and both arranged by Laurence H. Davies. First, ‘Three Kings’, a song of contrasts - the opening loud and majestic and the middle

section a quieter, legato description of the journey and the meeting with the baby Jesus, sung solo by Emma Mactaggart. The song concluded with a repeat of the first phrase, leaving us in no doubt as to whom the three kings were! The second song was ‘Fum! Fum! Fum!’ a lovely song, in a simple style, describing the main events of the Christmas Story, interspersed throughout with the words ‘Fum! Fum! Fum! – hence the title! The choir’s final song was a beautiful reflective song by Nigel Ogden – ‘Born for us on Christmas Day’ – which the choir sang very musically.

At the end of our Carol Service, it is the custom for the whole school to sing a song together just before the final lesson, which is read by Rev. Laurence Twaddle. This year’s song was ‘Just another star’ by Karl Jenkins and Carol Barrett, two very well-known musicians and composers. This was a very popular choice and all the children enjoyed singing it, as much as the congregation enjoyed listening to it.

Traditionally, our final carol is ‘O come all ye faithful’, but this year there was a change – not to the carol, but to the words, as we sang it in Latin as ‘Adeste fideles,’ which for some of our congregation was quite a challenge, but an enjoyable one. Finally, the Blessing was pronounced and then it was back to school to collect our belongings and go home for the holidays.

RO

Mansfield Music Cup 2006

This year, the 2006 Mansfield Music Cup took place on the afternoon of Friday 20th October. This is very popular with parents and friends, as all pupils take part and it is the final event before the half-term holidays. The Sports’ Hall was soon full, with every available chair in use, so for some it was standing room only!

Philip Rossiter, Director of Music from Merchiston Castle School, was our adjudicator and I am sure that no-one envied the task set before him. Preparations had begun soon after the start of term and the Patrol Leaders had been encouraging their patrols in their preparations. They were particularly well organised this year and all credit to them for the work they did in getting everyone involved, from the youngest pupils to the more senior pupils.

Each Patrol presents a ‘mini’ concert using the skills of their five best performers with as wide a variety of

instruments as possible and including a vocal solo, duet or trio. There is also a Patrol Song for each patrol to sing and this year’s theme was ‘Scottish Songs’.

There was much scope for some really enthusiastic singing and we were not disappointed as competition was fierce among the patrols! The introductions for each patrol have now become almost as important as the competition itself. Who could possibly manage to forget Harry Cobb in his Headmaster’s attire?

OWLS were the first patrol on the stage, opening with Arabella Bradley playing ‘Brown Haired Maiden’ on the bagpipe, and they set the standard for the rest. They were enthusiastic and it showed, especially in Catherine Hocknell’s vocal solo of ‘Oom Pah Pah’, which had an excellent backing group of others from the patrol. Catherine managed to sustain her cockney accent throughout the performance and her confident and humorous performance gained high marks. Cameron Hardie’s ‘Medley of Dances’ on the violin was also very well received and the other soloists – Iona Ralph and Claudia Black

(Flute and Guitar) and Geordie Younger (Piano) – provided contrasting items. The patrol song, ‘The Uist Tramping Song’ ended their ‘concert’ and it was obvious that they all enjoyed it, by their smiling faces, good diction and lively performance.

LIONS were the next to perform and Beth Fletcher (clarinet) was the first soloist playing confidently and with a good tone. Highlights of this patrol were Patrick Arbuthnott’s performance on pipes and drums with ‘Green Hills’ and Daisy Greville Williams’ lively and spirited jazzy recorder piece, ‘Fred ‘n’Ginger’. Charlie Clough on ’cello and Rosabel Kilgour, a member of Form 5, on the clarsach (with Beth Fletcher and Octavia Cobb as vocalists) were the ‘support team’ and made a good effort for their patrol. The Patrol song, ‘Comin’ thro’ the Rye’ was the final item for Lions and this was a lively performance with all of the patrol looking happy and relaxed. They had good dynamic contrast and were confident in remembering all their words!

SWALLOWS followed and their

49

programme began with a piece on violin, the first of two solos from John Macaulay. It is always difficult to be the first to play, but John played confidently and they were off to a good start. Victoria Erskine and Katya Thomson played a recorder duet (with wood block accompaniment) – ‘Tango Chacabuco’ and were followed by the Patrol Song, ‘Road to the Isles’. This had a good ensemble sound which was lively and rhythmical although there were times when they did not always look as confident as they sounded! John MacAulay’s second solo was on the piano – a ‘Passepied’ – in which he demonstrated good phrase structure and musicality. Finally Patricia Walker sang ‘The Jaguar’. The diction was very good and she really captured the attention of the audience with her assured singing.

Next were BADGERS who started off with the Patrol song, ‘Aiken Drum’. This was a good beginning with lots of smiling faces and enthusiasm. Again, good diction and well-remembered words provided us with an effective performance. Of the soloists, James Wilson made a major contribution on clarinet and piano, with ‘Fast zu keck’ (Clarinet) and the well known ‘Golliwog’s Cakewalk’. He played well on both instruments and proved what a promising young musician he is. Vanessa Riley also played the piano and Emma Mactaggart and Arthur Ellis-Hancock sang a duet version of ‘A Windmill in old Amsterdam’. Their voices went well together and they were enjoyable to listen to. Emily Gladstone and Claire Joicey played a duet version of the

‘Trumpet Voluntary’ on their flutes and gave a well-balanced performance which showed a great deal of accuracy and control from each of them.

The next Patrol was WOODPECKERS and they chose to start with the Patrol song ‘Scotland the Brave’. This was a spirited performance with confident singing where everyone looked and was involved and it was a good start to their concert. Antonia Ward and Anna Will managed to achieve a fluent, well-balanced musical performance in their violin duet and Dougal Forsyth gave a lively rendition of ‘Drunken Sailor’ on the piano. Mr. Pinchin’s words for ‘Wouldn’t it be nice’ were given a spirited performance by a core ensemble and the rest of the Patrol and although the fulfilment of the criteria was questionable, it was nonetheless amusing and enjoyable and the Patrol obviously enjoyed it. However the outstanding performers for this patrol were Leonora Campbell and Toby Moynan. Leonora, on the flute, gave a sensitive and musical presentation of Gluck’s well known ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ whilst Toby played ‘The Rowan Tree’ and ‘Bonnie Galloway’ on the bagpipe. The transition from one tune to the next was executed smoothly and he maintained a confident performance throughout with a very professional ending.

WOLVES were next and chose to start their performance with the patrol song ‘Westering Home’. Everyone looked happy and the words were articulated clearly, although there was a slight loss of confidence towards the

end. Honor Douglas-Miller (piano) and Jamie Macdonald (bagpipe) came next and each made a valiant effort for their patrol. Grizel Hocknell and Tom Galbraith chose to sing the duet ‘There’s a hole in my bucket’ and, with some relevant props, provided a confident, enjoyable and humorous performance – certainly a brave effort from Grizel who had only been in the school a matter of weeks! Eliza Plowden played an evocative Latin American style piece on her clarinet and this was a rhythmical and confident performance which was very effective in creating just the right atmosphere. Finally, Henry Dobson gave us a demonstration of his ability on the drums, with a piece he had composed himself and this was well received by everyone – a virtuoso performance to end the afternoon.

It was then Mr. Rossiter’s unenviable task to decide on a winner – rather him than us! The pupils had all worked very hard and we had witnessed some very musical performances, all of which were very commendable and showed a wealth of talent within the school. However, the half-term holidays were beckoning and a decision had to be made. The winners were declared to be WOODPECKERS with SWALLOWS the runners-up. We were very grateful to Mr. Rossiter who had given up an afternoon of his half-term holiday to be with us and when everything had been returned to its rightful place in the school, we were all able to begin our own half-term break.

RO

Living the Dream

When I arrived at Belhaven Hill in September 1988 the music

facilities could only be described at the very best as ‘basic’! Housed in a small concrete building known by all as ‘The Bungalow’, this was where I was to teach for the next eighteen years. Initially, lessons were held in a small room that had obviously been a bedroom when the ‘Bungalow’ was used for staff accommodation,

(I remember it with affection! Ed) with a ‘Super Ser’ gas heater, three tables, sixteen chairs, a large floor to ceiling blackboard, a small wash-hand basin inside a cupboard and a tiny ‘nursery’ piano! To say that it was a squash with sixteen large Form 1 boys (we were still a boys only school at this stage) was an understatement, but we managed to produce some worthwhile musical compositions and practical performances. Instrumental teaching

by visiting teachers had to be done in a small room which was at the other end of the corridor or in one of the ‘mobile’ classrooms during afternoon games. (By the end of Term 1 I suggested to Mr. Osborne that some electric heaters with timing switches would be an advantage in heating the building and this was arranged for the spring term and proved to be much more comfortable!)

In 1991 ‘major’ alterations were completed which saw the main music room moved to the opposite end of the building, with two teaching/practice rooms in place of the original classroom. Extra electric sockets meant that classes could be taught keyboard skills and there was room to explore composition more thoroughly in groups. Music continued to expand until every available space around the school was used - including a room in Mr. Osborne’s house, which housed the drum outfit and a piano for several years. From time to time there were rumours of the possibility of a One of the Teaching Classrooms ... ... a pupil’s view

50

new Music School, but I had long since thought that this would not happen in my time at Belhaven Hill.

However, in 2005 these rumours became a reality with the decision taken that, indeed, a new Music School was to be built and in the autumn term there were meetings to discuss what would be required and plans were drawn up. By June 2006, I finally vacated the ‘Bungalow’ for a temporary classroom at the side of the Sports’ Hall. It was quite sad to see the old building stripped of all its ‘belongings’ and even sadder to see the space after its demolition during the summer half-term holiday.

It was not long before foundations were laid and bit by bit the new building began to grow - sometimes very slowly and at times more quickly. With the

scaffolding surrounding it, the building dwarfed the other classrooms around it, but when it finally came down we were able to see the building as it was meant to be. Although it took many more months to complete, we were finally able to move in and use it for teaching on Monday, 7th May 2007.

There had been some difficult decisions to make - after all we were not planning just for the ‘here and now’, but for the future as well and what might be required in twenty years time (and beyond)! The new building is all that we had hoped for and more. We now have facilities that many senior schools would be envious of - a large classroom/recital room with a new grand piano and interactive whiteboard facility; a further classroom; a purpose built percussion

room (Mr. Osborne’s greatest delight, no more drumming in his house) an office, with a small kitchen, for the visiting teachers to use as a base and for me to be able to do all my paperwork; two storage rooms - one for the chanters and pipes and the other, upstairs, for instruments and music - and also on the upper floor, eight practice rooms, the smallest of which is used for clarsach teaching and the largest of which is set out as a keyboard room, which can be used for music practice or for class teaching. All of the rooms have been planned to be acoustically correct for the purposes they are intended and most of this is working very well.

From the first morning, the new Music School has been in full use from 07:25 in a morning until 20:30 in an evening, as well as at weekends. Having the space and

The well sound-proofed Drum Room!

The New Recital RoomThe Keyboard Classroom

51

more pleasant surroundings, has meant that the children now look forward to their practice times and consequently are learning that more practice means better skills! We have had a lunchtime concert and a Form 1 recital (for their parents), as well as various talks in the recital room. More recently we held Associated Board exams. there and this proved to be the ideal situation. Each candidate was able to go upstairs to ‘warm-up’

before their exam, without disturbing the exams, in the recital room and we were able to use the second classroom as a ‘waiting-room’. The visiting music staff settled in without any problem and on the first morning Mrs. Wood said, “It’s as if we have always been here - it feels really comfortable.” There are still some things to be sorted out, including some clocks around the building, but on the whole we have everything ‘up and running’.

Working in the new building really is like being in a dream. In the first few weeks I kept expecting to wake up and find myself in the old ‘Bungalow’. Fortunately that has not happened, nor will it - I hope! To live and work in such pleasant surroundings is a blessing and one which we should all appreciate. I am sure that the pupils do appreciate how lucky they are - the staff certainly do and we should not forget to thank the governors, who agreed to such an ambitious project, especially Rebecca

Tyndall who willingly gave up so much time and effort to see it through. Without Jane Paterson, the architect, none of it would have been possible, as she took on board all of our requirements and managed, in the space available, to produce just what we were hoping for and more. I am thrilled that for the coming years I shall now be able to work in a purpose-built Music School and be ‘living the dream’!

Ruth Owenson

A Practice RoomWindows, lights, notes? The top half of the Recital Room.

Oliver

As with any production, this year’s form one

production of Oliver proved that a play is the

ultimate team game. With fewer than eight weeks to pull it off, and only a week of rehearsals in the sports hall, it was, at times, a nerve-wracking experience.

Once the first performance was upon us, however, the play had the audience gripped from the very start. From the

opening song, ‘Food, glorious food’, the intensity was maintained by a very able cast and at times it was hard to believe that this was a group of twelve and thirteen year-olds (and Mr Peek).

Octavia Cobb was excellent in the title role, finding herself flung from one unknown situation to the next and gaining the audience’s sympathy from the very beginning. Harry Cobb, as Bill Sykes, was believably menacing and aggressive (with stubble to match), whilst Catherine Hocknell, with an immensely powerful singing voice, had the audience fighting back the tears during ‘If only he needs me’ and foot-tapping to ‘Oom-pah-pah.’

John Macaulay flitted backwards and forwards as a superb and thoroughly convincing Artful Dodger, while Mr Peek, as Fagin, as well as reminding

bb

52

us that ‘in this life, one thing counts - large amounts in the bank’ bobbed and weaved his way round the stage.

It is, of course, impossible to mention everybody, and, of course, there were a great many wonderful moments. It takes everybody working together to produce a play – staff and pupils, and it was to the credit of the whole cast and those behind the scenes that the play was able to take shape on the stage in the final week.

JP

53

Stuart Grant, Belhaven’s fantastic ‘Mr Fixit’, took hundreds of photos of the new Music School being built and so the Editor, with time on his hands and hundreds

of blank pages, decided to use some of them to show the build process.

The first bite at the roof of the old Bungalow

Final wall down and ready to start the new build

... looking a bit worse for wear!Tasting good but ...

First concrete into the foundations Steels are up and of course it’s easy to see what it will look like.

Ah, so there will be access to the upper floor - phew! The bauble effect

Nice curves - but where’s the pond gone? Stylish, elegant and new! Entrance to the new Music School, now open for business.

54

Summer Concert

The final weekend of the summer term is always a very busy one

and this year was no exception, with parties, matches, picnics etc. - to say nothing of a battle against the weather! The Summer Concert is held in the Sports’ Hall on the last Saturday evening of term (this year 30th June), with the first half being given to various instrumental music groups and soloists and the second half to a performance by the choir.

It is very difficult to choose who performs in the first half of the concert and each year we can only showcase a fraction of the talent that exists among those pupils who play instruments. The instrumental teachers recommend suitable pupils and, in addition, the Wind Group and Junior Choir also perform. We try to have a range of instruments, ages and abilities, but particularly featuring leavers, although this year they had had an additional platform at their own concert in the new Music School.

Getting this year’s programme off to a ‘rousing’ start were Henry Dobson and Joell Holland Jenkins, on drums and electric guitar. They proved to be so popular that they were asked to perform an encore, which they did - a piece they had written themselves. Lydia McCallum followed on with ‘Andante’ (Enckhausen) on the piano and then came Grace Plowden who played ‘At Sunset’ (Paolo Conte) on the descant recorder - a very sensitive performance. Elliot Graves livened things up with ‘Test Drive’ (Pamela Wedgwood) and

then came the Junior Choir which consists of all members of Forms 4 & 5. They sang two songs - ‘The Song of the Tub’ (Words: Judge Parry & Music: John Tobin) and ‘Counting Crafty Calories’ (Words: Ron Morton & Music: Ruth Owenson). The latter grabbed everybody’s attention with its actions in each chorus and, much to the audience’s delight, not all quite synchronised!

Leonora Campbell came next, on the flute, and gave a beautifully sustained performance of Faure’s ‘Sicilienne’. John MacAulay played J.S. Bach’s ‘Prelude in F’ on the piano, displaying some fine finger dexterity and this was followed by ‘Turkey Point Trot’ (Sarah Watts), a duet played on the saxophone - a catchy and amusing performance by Connie Begg and Dhileas Heywood. Another descant recorder player, Katya Thomson, then gave us a relaxing jazz style piece - ‘Pure silk’ from Geoffrey Russell-Smith’ s ‘Jazzy Recorder’ Book 1, while Victoria Joicey came next on the piano, with a rhythmically sound version of ‘The Old Cuckoo Clock’ (Bachinskaya). The Wind Group followed on with two pieces - first, ‘When the boat comes in’ - a traditional piece arranged by Tony Mason (with an unexpected extended conclusion!) and then ‘Marche Militaire’ an arrangement of Schubert’s popular piece by Alan Frazer. (Wind Group - Flutes: Claire Joicey, Leonora Campbell, Emily Gladstone, Iona Ralph; Recorders: Daisy Greville Williams, Katya Thomson, Grace Plowden; Clarinets: James Wilson, Eliza Plowden, Beth Fletcher; Euphonium: George Ellis Hancock.)

The final group of soloists was led by William Ellis Hancock on piano, playing

‘Garage Sale’ (Pamela Wedgwood) and being one of the smaller members of Form 5, it seemed only fair to ask him to take a second bow on stage so that everyone could see this enthusiastic performer! This was followed by a confident performance from Daisy Greville Williams, on descant recorder, of the first movement of James Hook’s ‘Sonata in G’. Eliza Plowden (Clarinet) played the exciting ‘Steam Train Blues’ by Christopher Norton, with Claire Joicey continuing on flute, with movements 3 & 4 of G.F.Handel’s ‘Sonata in F’. James Wilson showed off his talent as a pianist with a Grade 7 piece - ‘Willie Wagglestick’s Walkabout’ - a wonderfully intricate jazz-style piece by Brian Bonsor. To complete the first half, Cameron Hardie played a selection of pieces on his violin. First of all ‘The Rowan Tree’, an emotionally moving performance of a popular slow air, then a medley of quicker, foot-tapping pieces and finally and most appropriately, ‘Auld Lang Syne’.

There was much to enjoy and to appreciate and sometimes it is hard to remember that the performers probably had an average age of around eleven years. They all played with great confidence and skill - a credit to themselves, their parents and their teachers. (Accompanists for the evening were Elizabeth Wood, Barbara Richerby and Ruth Owenson.)

Supper, prepared by Mrs. McLoughlin and her team of ladies was then served, before the second half performance, by the choir, of ‘Ocean World’ (Words: Ann Conlon & Music: Peter Rose)

RO

Music at Dunbar Day Centre

Early in November 2006, I was contacted by the person in

charge at Dunbar Day centre, to ask if it would be possible to take some pupils from Belhaven Hill and give a concert at the Day Centre before the end of term. It is some years since I last took a party there, but eventually a suitable date was found and on the afternoon of Tuesday, 5th December Mrs Owenson and a small ‘concert party’ of sixteen pupils set off for the Day Centre.

The concert was to be approximately forty-five minutes long and those

involved were mostly instrumentalists with one or two ‘extras’ to boost the singing. We sang many popular carols including ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, ‘In the bleak midwinter’, O little town of Bethlehem’, ‘See amid the winter’s snow’ and ‘O come all ye faithful’, with Catherine Hocknell, Emma Mactaggart and Patricia Walker singing the first two verses of ‘Silent Night’ and everyone joining in the final verse. At the end we also added some more popular Christmas songs for everyone to join in – ‘Frosty the Snowman’, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer’ and ‘Jingle Bells’.

Soloists were:Claire Joicey (flute) - ‘Cloudy Day’James Wilson (clarinet) - ‘Street Scene’Charlie Clough (cello) - ‘New Year Carol’;

Daisy Greville Williams (recorder) – ‘Pastorale’Cameron Hardie (violin) - Medley of Scottish TunesLeonora Campbell (flute) - ‘Siciliana & Allegro’Eliza Plowden (clarinet) - ‘It takes two’.

The afternoon was much appreciated by the members of the Day Centre and we performed to a full hall. The pupils very much enjoyed themselves and they were treated to juice, biscuits and sweets afterwards. It was a very worthwhile outing and I am hoping to make this a regular event, as it means so much to the elderly of the town.

RO

55

Vale Mater Familias For the past four years the Girls’

House has been lucky to have Miss Karen McNeil at the helm. Together with her sidekick Dougal, the ‘Mutley’ impersonator and chaser of anything round that has been thrown or kicked, she has cared for, inspired, been cross with, forgiven and nurtured four years’ worth of girls at Belhaven.

She has decided that it is time for a breather and to see what life is like out there. We shall all be sorry to see her leave, but most of all she will be sorely missed in the Girls’ House where she has made many friends.

As in time-honoured fashion Karen agreed to an interview with a few of the girl leavers. Unfortunately she is somewhat camera-shy and so finding a picture of her has been quite a task, but I’ve done my best.

Here, then, is that exclusive interview, conducted primarily by Patricia Walker, in full. Much of it must be in Girls’ House language as I certainly am befuddled by some of the comments!

What was your first impression of Belhaven Hill?

I remember Mr Harvey opening the front door looking shifty and nervous. Then MO walking round the cricket pitch and telling me I should not walk while the

bowler was bowling! But above all the beautiful

grounds.

What is your funniest memory?Anna Will and her rhombus : talent

shows, quite hilarious : Het breaking her bed : hiding in the broom cupboard with Laura waiting for Claire to find us, but she was in a big huff and it was a long wait : hiding in a cupboard in Oak and giving them a huge fright : constantly laughing : the dance routines.

Something you really won’t miss ...I won’t miss Tea Duty - hate it - noise,

hellish messy and sticky. So many people forget manners it’s maddening.

I also won’t miss the whingeing about sore body bits that aren’t serious!

... and something you will?Too many things - everything except Tea!

Rounders, Cricket, Mastermind. Having a laugh around the kitchen table. Dorm feasts, pillow fights. Talent Shows I’ll miss loads. People of course. And laughter - cracking up and crying with laughter.

Which Year of Girls was your least favourite?

Present Form 1 when they were in Form 3. Don’t talk to me about bead shops/laburnum seeds! Bunch of hysterical Drama Queens, every one of them. They’ve improved with age.

Is there anything you would change about BH?

Tea duty (quick answer). Nothing - all good!

What do you look forward to in an average day?

Having chats with you girlies : hanging around with you kids.

What is your favourite day in the week and why?

Friday with chocolate crunch for pudding at lunch : Wednesday matches : no particular favourites though every 2nd Friday is pretty good!

What will you do without BH ...No idea. Don’t know what I’ll do.

It’ll certainly be quieter, less crying avec laughter, less hiding in cupboards and under duvets. A lot less being a kid!

... and what will BH do without you?

It’ll go from strength to strength - um um um - I will be gone in body but I’ll be a legend forever!!

Miss Mack begins to break down, starts to cry, face bright red but then laughs once more - nothing can stop Miss Mack from laughing.

Dougal with favourite tennis ball and in his favourite state (carefully drawn by our

resident artist)

Miss Mack as she would like to be remembered - having a laugh whatever the

weather, surrounded by the Girls

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56

This year the team consisted of three veterans of the Gleneagles competition:

team captain Emma McTaggart, in her third and final year competing for Belhaven, Beth Fletcher, who had competed last year, Alexander Swanson (Swanny) competing for the second time having skipped a year last year due to the Chef d’Equipe (his mother) being unable to persuade/bribe him to take part, and first timer Mungo Kilgour.

There was great excitement as we arrived, Mungo having swapped ponies at the last minute and riding his old pony Harry, as his new pony, Mr Kelly, had proved to be rather a handful in holiday practice sessions! Swanny was riding his brother’s horse Declan, the faithful Asterix having been sold during the holidays. Declan was an unknown quantity, having never competed for the Swansons before today. Declan is known to need barbed wire in his mouth to stop him and as the Chef d’Equipe had been given the wrong info and put a snaffle bit in his mouth, things were not looking good and the Rescue Remedy was going down well!

Both Emma’s Hannah and Beth’s Holly were very relaxed and calm, Emma particularly calm as she had not ridden for several weeks due to holidays. Off to the dressage arena where Beth and Emma both rode beautiful tests, Beth scoring a very impressive 62 and Emma 67 (the lower the score the better for the uninitiated!). Time for the boys. Mungo was faultless and

scored 67, while Swanny was only in the arena for 3 seconds before the flighty Declan saw something out of the corner of his eye (I think it was the ambulance which was nearly required for what happened next), took off out of the arena at a flat out gallop, jumping and skidding on the paving stones and scattering spectators and very nearly the burger van in his wake, with Swanny uttering vocabulary which can not have been picked up at Belhaven (blame his brothers!). His

test paper consisted of one understatement: “Eliminated, left the arena”.

It then fell to the Chef d’Equipe’s powers of persuasion to allow Swanny to compete in the showjumping at all, reminding the officials that this was an under 12’s schools competition and not Badminton Horse Trials. They relented and let him compete. Fortunately Swanny, a veteran of the hunting field, was undeterred by his dramatic departure from the dressage arena, dressage being for girls and all that, and seemed quite keen to take part in the show jumping, (he later admitted to having been terrified!). We walked the course where some doubt was expressed about Mungo’s Harry (who is very small) and his ability/desire to jump any of these rather large spreads, but the team was given good guidance by Emma’s groom who, fortunately, is a sports psychologist. Only the best for Team Belhaven!

Emma rode a beautifully controlled double clear round; Beth had only one refusal, and therefore four faults; poor

Mungo had the unfortunate experience of Harry refusing the first jump three times and being eliminated at the first and Swanny surpassed himself by riding a very fast double clear, which looked as if it would get him into the medals. Rephrase that, Declan did it and Swanny stayed on board!

Belhaven children at their finest rallied round Mungo who was furious and upset, sweeties were produced, along with tales of how all three of the others had been in tears at Gleneagles in the past, and it was after all a team effort and he had ridden a beautiful dressage test. The team were about to untack their ponies and go home when the word from inside the stadium was that all was not going terribly well for several of the other schools and as only three jumping scores counted out of a team of four, there could just be a chance of a placing. However, while all the other teams rode smugly

round the warm up arena convinced of their success, our intrepid riders got back on their ponies and stood quietly outside the arena, not wanting to be presumptuous and not wanting to have to leave the arena again if they had been unsuccessful.

Belhaven’s name was called out and the final result was that they were 3rd in the showjumping! Rosettes were attached (Declan not too sure about his and looked like bolting again, but Swanny held on tight), beaming smiles all round, photos taken, the lap of honour galloped (Declan thought he was hunting again, this was more like it) and plans made for next year. Oh yes, despite comments that we were not going to get wound up about this and take it too seriously, it appears that we will: Mungo will swap ponies again and practise like crazy, Swanny will put the severe bit back on Declan and practise like crazy, Beth’s date of birth may have to be slightly altered to keep her in the age bracket, and we will all miss the lovely Emma, who will be on to pastures new and has been such a good captain. There was even mention of team training sessions next Easter holidays, although that was after the parents had celebrated with a glass of wine after the relief that they were all still alive!

The children returned to Belhaven at 10pm smiling and happy. Teamwork at its best - a fine example of Belhaven camaraderie and team support, evident in all Belhaven sports. On to next year (which will fortunately be my last!).

Amanda Swanson

Gleneagles Riding

This way - just follow me.

Trot on.

OK - let’s ride!

Swanny, Beth, Mungo and Emma

57

The GardensBehind this gate lie the School Gardens.

At the beginning of every year children are given the opportunity to ‘bid’ for a plot with their friends. If memory serves correctly a staggering 70 children put forward their names for a chance to dig the soil, plant seeds and win the coveted Gardening Trophy.

Late in June the Chairman of Governors, Mrs Jenny Harper (a very keen gardener herself ) and an ex-Belhaven teacher, Mr Hamish Conran-Smith (also a keen horticulturist) made their way to the Gardens to judge the results of all the children’s labours.

This year’s winner was Iona Ralph.

58

59

Balloon Debate

Two thousand feet above the freezing North Sea and

dropping fast, a hot air balloon and its mismatched group of passengers seem to be heading for a watery grave. What is to be done? Can anyone be saved? Only by chucking out five of the seven. But who should remain? Who is worth keeping? The final decision is left to us, the audience here at Belhaven Hill. Is it a terrorist plot? Is it the latest in reality telly gone crazy? No, it is the annual Autumn balloon debate and it is the job of the seven occupants to persuade us, the audience, that they should remain dry.

The occupants this year were: P. Walker (Marilyn Monroe), E. Plowden (Walt Disney), F. Black (Mr. Osborne), J. MacAulay (Simon Cowell), E. Mactaggart (Florence Nightingale), H. Dobson (Mohammed Ali) and T. Moynan (Anne Robinson).

It was a fascinating debate lurching

from the formal (Florence) to the farcical (Simon) and from the arch (Marilyn) to the abusive (Anne). Walt’s speech was perhaps the most balanced and well researched but failed to strike a chord with the hardened audience. Marilyn’s breathless entreaties and short dress also failed to win over the hearts (except for Millar’s) and minds while the lady of the lamp failed to ignite the sympathies of the Belhaven crew. Simon sealed his own fate and was not chosen by suggesting that Mr. Gale had the X-factor and

Mohammed’s bluster and bravado failed to terrorise. That left Anne and Mr. Osborne.

The similarity in appearance between Toby and his character was eerily close and led to suggestions that there must be a family link… As Anne Robinson has clearly been dead for many years, perhaps Toby is in fact a reincarnation? Anne had lost none of her trademark put-downs and snide comments and was very strong when responding to the audience’s comments.

Fergus’s presentation of some of our beloved headmaster’s (dare I say peculiar) mannerisms was spot on and earned him many votes (if not the headmaster’s). He proved to be very persuasive and the promise of an easy life at the Belhaven Hill holiday camp, if saved, proved to be the clincher that won him the title.

It was an excellent performance by all those involved and a fun evening for us all. Well done.

WT

Form 1

Simon Cowell : Anne Robinson (uncanny !) : Florence Nightingale : Walt Disney : Marilyn Monroe : Mr Osborne (!) : Mohammed Ali

60

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Walt Disney’s Balloon Debate Talk

Enters with song:

Imagine a world without Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse, Bambi, Brother Bear,

The Incredibles, Cinderella, Toy Story and Pirates of the Caribbean. Imagine a world without theme parks, cartoons and happy endings. Imagine a world without fun. The only people who can prevent this happening are you.

I am Walter Elias Disney. Currently I’m in a balloon which is running out of gas and some of the passengers in it have to go. All through my life I have put other people’s happiness before my own and I am usually a rather modest person but in this life or death situation I hope you will forgive me for boasting. If I can persuade you to rescue me, I’m sure I could sketch a happy ending for everyone else. I have three minutes to prove my case.

I was born in 1901. This may seem like donkeys ago to you young souls but it’s not long really. All my life I’ve been interested in art. When I was 7 years old, I sold sketches to my neighbours. I loved doodling and drawing pictures of animals and nature.

I joined the red cross when I was 16. I drove around in a decorated van which meant a lot to me. My van was special. It wasn’t covered in camouflage, it was covered

in Disney cartoons! In 1920 I created my first animated

cartoons. In 1928 Mickey Mouse was born. I love my adorable and cuddly creation. He was inspired by Charlie Chaplin and is Disney’s most lovable creature. Don’t you think he’s great?

I suppose I should tell you a little about my works…

Well, there’s my cartoons. I have created many wonderful creatures apart from Mickey and Minnie mouse such as Nemo, Donald Duck and Simba from The Lion King. I have also brought many others to life such as The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Spiderman, Tarzan and Winnie the Pooh. There are also many evil ones but I say that you can’t have a good cartoon without a baddy. Imagine 101 Dalmatians without Cruella de Ville, imagine Snow White without the apple from the Evil Witch, there would just be no story line to the story. Disney films have done a lot for the world. They have taught generations of children that good conquers evil, that a Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down and that it is possible to live happily ever after. And, so what if Shrek wasn’t made by Disney - I doubt Universal Studios would have got the idea if it weren’t for me.

And then there’s Disneyland. I sacrificed a lot for Disneyland. I mortgaged everything, even my life insurance, so that it could be built. Of course, at first I hoped it would

make me some money so I could have my life back. But after a while I realised that Disneyland is a work of love. I expect many of you people have been fortunate enough to have been there. If it weren’t for Disneyland, I bet your holidays would have been less than half as much fun.

I bet some of you are thinking, “Disneyland isn’t the only theme park. Alton towers is just as good”. That’s where you’re wrong. Alton towers and most of the theme parks in the world were inspired by Disneyland and wouldn’t be there if Disneyland hadn’t been created. Yet another happy thing I’ve added to your lives!

So what else have I created?I do have children you know. And grand

children as well. They are all so proud of me and I’ve worked so hard for them. But I feel responsible for the happiness of every single child in the world and it is my duty to remind every adult that there’s a child somewhere inside them if only they look.

So ... I am very sorry to say that my 3 minutes are just about up but I need to quickly remind you why I’m worth saving. Without me you would have really boring films, really boring holidays and really boring parents. And what’s more, if you rescue me, I promise to write a happy ending for everyone else in the balloon!

That’s all folks!Eliza Plowden

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61

Mastermind 2007

What a wonderful and terrifying

competition the Belhaven Mastermind competition is. Having never before experienced Mr ‘Magnus’ Osborne and the perfectly timed light show, this year was a real education. What was most impressive, in truth, was the vast range of specialist subjects and the incredible knowledge of them shown by those members of Forms 1 to 3 with the sheer nerve to enter the

competition in the first place.In the heats, specialist subjects

included a real diversity – from the Battle of Hastings to the Simpsons, Jane Austen to the Clown fish and Julius Caesar to the bearded pig, with considerable knowledge shown by all ‘contenders’.

In heat one, Geordie Tulloch and Catherine Hocknell saw off the challenge of Octavia Cobb, who qualified for the final as a high loser while two Form 3s, Hector Laird and Iona Ralph bravely sat in the chair for the first time.

In heat two, Beth Fletcher was impressive in the general knowledge round in defeating Alasdair Bird,

while in the final heat Henry Dobson’s knowledge of Shrek 2 was very impressive as he reached the final along with Eliza Plowden. Claire Joicey qualified as a high loser, to bring the number in the final to seven.

On the evening of the final, the tension was enormous. No girl had ever won Mastermind before. After the first round, they were in with a real chance, and when Geordie and Henry failed to pass Cathrine Hocknell, Mastermind had its first girl champion. But which girl? Claire Joicey held her nerve to become the first female mastermind champion since records began.

JP

Phew! That’s a tricky question. Pass! The Question Master, ‘Magnus’ Osbornsun, in jovial mood after all the questions have been

asked.

The Magnificent Seven Finalists.Back: Octavia Cobb : Catherine Hocknell : Eliza Plowden :

Henry Dobson : Geordie TullochFront: Claire Joicey, trophy winner : Beth Fletcher

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Winning Spoken English Competition entry

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Today I am here to

talk to you about the Recoilus Spatulator Pugnoto Flatulus, more commonly know as the North African desert-rat. Before I start, I would just like to point out that these are not the tanks, nor are they actually rats, but far more advanced cousins of the of the 3 legged Filipino bush baby.

These are extremely rare creatures native only to the edges of the Sahara desert in areas such as Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan and Egypt.

A really accurate description is hard to come across as they are so rare. However, on my holidays in Tunisia, my family and I went camel trekking. After an hour or so, we stopped to let the animals rest, so I decided to explore. I had been gone no more than ten minutes when I stumbled upon a hermit who had not seen or spoken to anyone for 30 years. This man, as hermits are, was in very bad shape and had just one secret to pass on to the world before his death. Here I am to share it with you…

The average Desert-rat has astonishing X-ray vision and it can swivel its eye sockets to look out of the back of its head. Being shy creatures, a photo is hard to get as they can see you coming from 200 yards away, even in thick woodland. And obviously there are none of them in captivity.

As well as amazing sight, they have extraordinarily large ears. These have two purposes. One is obviously for hearing small noises from far away but the other is slightly strange. When being hunted in the desert, the adrenaline they feel turns their ears a sandy colour. Because their ears are so huge, they rap themselves in them and are immediately camouflaged.

These creatures live for 90 years or so but only reach maturity at 34-37. There are not many distinguishing marks between the male and female apart from an extra row of teeth on the female Desert-rat used for chewing food quickly to feed their starving young. The young Desert-rat has no teeth at all and is force fed by the mother, a bit like a bird. Also, if you look carefully, the male desert rat has a third eye, just below the snout.

Desert-rats have four legs and can walk on two, but the majority choose not to because it makes them dizzy. The main function of the hind legs is to propel them comparatively huge distances, hence the nickname given to them by tribesmen, “frevaza galibatorica”. I have absolutely no idea what this means, or which language it is in.

These creatures are between 10” and 1ft. They hunt anything that they can find, mainly small lizards. Sometimes, groups of about 4 will venture into a nearby village and take St. Bernards, Rottwielers and even local toddlers. Sometimes they will raid bins and if you are nearby, you may hear the clatter. However, when you arrive at the scene, I guarantee that they will all be gone.

There is a legend, started by the local people that these creatures can appear and d i s appea r at will. This power

was supposedly given to them by a mortal God of the Desert by the name of Elzikhio. Once, when he was out in the desert, he lost all of his water and was near to death. As he lay dying under the night sky, he noticed lights not far off. Although he didn’t know it, he was

seeing the luminous bacteria that sticks to their tails. He

followed these lights and they led him to an oasis, and saved his life.

These are certainly amazing creatures and if

you are ever fortunate enough to see

one, leave a trail of its favourite food, which is s c i en t i f i c a l l y proven to be Snickers bars, and maybe they will follow you home.Harry CobbHarry delivering his story in

typical dead-pan fashion.

63

Hadrian’s Wall

After most weekends out you come back to school thinking, ‘Oh great, lessons’.

Unlike most days though, 1o had a much more pleasant thought; we were going to Hadrian’s Wall!

We got up nice and early and left school on a two and a half hour journey and everyone was in high spirits. Finally Octavia screamed, ‘Look there it is!’, and we all looked around; Jo-Jo cried out that he could see ‘Hadrian’s Fence’.

We had arrived at last and everyone ran to the toilets. Then Mr Osborne showed us the way to the first fort, Chesters! Chloe was very excited about this. He told us all about the fort and the Roman Baths and about what it would have looked like when it had just been built. I managed to take a lovely picture of Black crouching in a hypocaust; and some tried crawling through an aqueduct, which William Dalrymple got stuck in two years ago.

In the museum we all found some badges with Mr Harvey’s anthem on them, History Matters. On the way out, we had to stop the bus for Chloe to get her picture taken under the Chesters sign. We teased her about the fact that her ancestral home was in need of a few repairs (i.e. a wall and a roof for starters). She got us back later by losing the way when we were walking along the wall - but that’s another story. Then at last we were on our way once more. One down, two to go.

After a picnic lunch we started our

tiring, half mile trek to our second fort – Housesteads. It was much bigger and on the side of a steep hill. I pity the people who had to attack it. Once we were there we went

into the museum. There was a model statue of a Roman (Kirsty was fascinated

by his very big nose) and all of the girls had fun

saying how ‘cute’ the little figurines on the model of

the fort were. Most people bought a piece

of rock or an ice-lolly then we went to look around the fort.

Again there were hypocausts and latrines and baths, and Arabella

enquired, ‘Were they all naked?’ We walked along the wall of the fort and when we rounded the corner we saw it at last: Murus Hadriani, and to all of those who don’t have Latin with Mr Osborne, Hadrian’s Wall. We looked round the fort for a little while longer then Mr Osborne and Mr Harvey sent us on a two mile walk along the wall while they skived off and took the minibus.

The walk was very good fun. With the boys leading the way and Antonia and Chloe bringing up the rear we got on quite well, until we somehow managed to veer off the track and found ourselves in the middle of a field. When we looked round all we could see were a dilapidated tractor and a few sheep. Chloe sent Frederick off up the hill to see if he could see the actual wall. Meanwhile the rest of us made a plan to sacrifice Tulloch and cut off all his hair to keep us warm.

When we saw Frederick bounding down the hill again we wondered if it was good news or bad. Thankfully it was good; and Geordie’s life was spared. The wall at the top of the field, which we thought at first was just a normal wall, was actually Hadrian’s wall.

With about 45 minutes to go it started to rain. Suddenly everyone was running ahead because they had heard that the ‘Robin Hood tree’ was up ahead. Once we had had our picture taken we set off again, nervously rounded a large bull in our red ruggers, and were soon in the car park in desperate need of a drink. Then we all bundled into the transport and set off to our final destination – Vindolanda.

When we arrived, we all went into a little room and watched a video.

We set off to a reconstructed turret where we played a bit of ‘Cowboys and Indians’. Once we had stopped fooling around Mr Osborne showed us the way to a little temple and listened to people praying. Then we went to Roman shops and houses and women told us about what life was like.

In the museum we watched another little clip about Romans writing letters to each other; and in the gift shop everyone bought supplies for the journey back to school.

Finally we were bundled into the bus, exhausted and wet, and set off home. We passed a lot of cheery signs saying ‘163 casualties on this road over 3 years’ and Mr. Harvey complained about the stench of Harry’s feet. We were all very tired but still managed to stay awake to listen to our ipods. It had been an exciting and eventful day for all of us.

The wall was spectacular. It was interesting. It was a great experience and it was great fun. So THANK YOU, Mr Harvey, Chloe and especially Mr Osborne for such a great trip!

Catherine Hocknell et al.Chloe Chesters, gap student, standing proudly

in front of ancestral home!

The Annual Trip to Hadrian’s Wall

Has the History teacher finally lost his head?

Not like our modern beds!

No comment!

I don’t think so - not with their reputations!

64

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Method:Mix all natural ingredients togetherTaste to check consistencyThink up imaginative name & labelLie back whilst face pack is applied by partner…Rest cucumber on eyesRelax in ‘Enya’ ambience and soak up natural harmony

POST EXAM THERAPY

Face pack goddess Emma Cowan!

65

Big beard, fat, my belly like jelly.Silly, jolly lots of joy and happiness.

Can’t fit down the chimney.Travelling around the world delivering

presents.Snow in my boots.

Rudolph and Blitzen, Comet and Cupid.

Cookies, Milk, Carrots,They help me as I fly.Cold air, warm fires

Burning my bottom as I come down the chimney.

Fergus BlackGeordie Tulloch

My First Christmas

Santa has trained me hard He has trained me night and dayHe feeds me reindeer pellets And that’s my only pay.

But now the time has comeSanta is dressed in redI’ll have to leave here soonBut I’ll be back in time for bed.

I can see the presents glisteningIn the moonlit skyThe elves are looking anxiousAs they wave their last goodbyes.

Rudolph with his red, red nose Is guiding our sleigh tonightWe’re on our trip around the worldWith the stars shining so bright.

Australia to La France Santa is getting blackWow what a super trip But now we are heading back.

Anna Will & Kirsty Landale

The Disappearing Presents

It’s Christmas Eve in LaplandAnd Santa’s in a huff.“The presents are disappearingI haven’t got enough!”

He called all the elvesAnd asked them to look.While he sat in his enormous chairAnd flicked through his rather large

book.

“They’re not in the cellar”An elf exclaimed dimly,“I’ve looked absolutely everywhereEven up the chimney!”

Another elf went up to SantaAnd said with an enormous sigh,“I cannot find them anywhereAnd its nearly time to fly.”

So Santa went gloomily Into the reindeer shed,And there were all the presentsNestled with Rudolph in his bed.

Santa was happy as could beAnd called to all his elves,“Harness up Dancer and Prancer,Their halters are on the shelves.”

They patted all the reindeerAnd up to the sky they did goAnd with a big smile Santa said with a

grin,“Merry Christmas and Ho, Ho, Ho!”

Catherine Hocknell

An Unorganised Christmas

66

The Pole Climb

The pole didn’t look scary until I was up there. Climbing up the

35ft ‘mammoth’ pole, I could see down to the ground where all my friends stood encouraging me to go further. I could hear them saying, “You’re nearly there,” and they were right. I could see the daunting tip of the pole right ahead of me.

Reaching the top, I managed to kneel on the platform but, after seeing how high up I was and feeling the pole wobbling, I retreated and jumped off from just below the top.

Jumping was very fun. I could feel the air going against me and the gravity pulling me towards the ground.

The second time I did it, I was determined to get up, standing, on the top. Excitement rushed though my veins. I made the decision to climb up blindfolded. Because of this, the experience was a huge contrast to the first time I did it. I found it easier to climb up because I couldn’t see how high I was. On the other hand, I didn’t know where the hand holds were so I couldn’t get up so easily.

I could hear my group directing me where to go. They told me I was almost there, to put my right hand up a bit and that my left foot was unstable.

I felt around the pole to find my place and pull myself upwards.

Reaching the top, I stayed motionless, feeling the pole wobble and my nerves build up.

Eventually I knelt on the pole, so close to chickening out.

Due to the help of the people below

me, I pulled my leg up and then, eventually, stood on the top.

My foot was shaking and I felt the humungous lift of achievement.

I took off my goggles and my eyes were awed by the distance between myself and the people below me.

Jumping from the pole, I landed on the ground, pleased and proud with what I had done!

Leavers’ Outward Bound

Feelings and thoughts during a quiet moment amongst the trees.

Vibrant, still, yet bursting with movement.

Wise old stone.The bark has a passion for the tree as it

clings on.Twigs shoot off in all directions like

fireworks.Branches, like clawed hands, groping

in the air.Ensnared by nature’s nettles, sinister

yet secretive.Octavia Cobb

Everything is calm. The trees sway in the cool breeze. The breeze that ruffles the leaves as it searches for something. Birds cheep in the trees, calling for their mate. The silence is broken by a car down the road behind the wall, screeching.

AnonI see branches and leaves scattered on

the ground.

Busy midges mingling.The cool breeze creeping up my legs.

AnonThe terrain that I see reminds me of

shooting. I think of green and birds, of which I can hear many.

A pale green dragon fly about 2.5 cm long with 4 long, see-through wings, black and gold eyes lands on me. There are two antennae and it has 6 slow-moving legs. It is injured so I put it out of its misery.

Frederick de Klee

I do not know what I am feeling but it is quite strange because I do not normally do things like this and so I am out of practice but it is also peaceful because you can only hear birds and occasionally someone shouting – don’t look, because he is doing something he should not.

Finn Curry

I am sitting in between two trees with a wall behind me. All I can see is the calm forest. I also see midges floating around me hoping they won’t take a bite as I put on midge cream.

I hear the rush of traffic and the birds chirping, calling for their parents. I can feel the breeze rustling through every leaf as if searching for something.

There is a stick pointing at me as if it were a snake about to strike.

The traffic is annoying me, disturbing the wonderful sounds of the forest. I see evil nettles strangling a tree. I feel wet on my rear end from when I slipped on the football pitch. It makes me feel uncomfortable.

I start thinking about the fun I have had at Belhaven but the sound of a car disturbs my day dreaming.

I see a spider dangling on his spider web waiting for a small meal.

I snap a branch which feels satisfying for me as it keeps on poking me.

This leaf intrigues me with its grace and beauty. I wonder how it came off the tree?

An ant starts crawling across my page in confusion. He quickly crawls across onto my knee. I quickly squash a midge between my hands and I wipe it on my trousers.

Again, the sound of traffic.Christopher Ralph

67

The Water Fight

“3, 2, 1, charge!” The girls burst out the door shrieking!

The adrenaline rush burst through our bodies,

Water sprays everywhere.The wet material sticks to our skin, And another bottle of freezing water

is poured down our backs.People rushing around yelling names, Some of us run out onto the pitches.The fight continues on the pitchesSomeone pours boiling hot water on

my frozen feet.I shiver and shake from the cold,My hair sticks down on my face.I cannot wait for a warm shower!

B Bradley

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Alnwick CastleForm 1g go Medieval and have the pictures to prove it

Finn Struggling with the Medussa’s Head - or is it his

horse?

Maid Marion eat your heart out. Medieval lovelies Emma, Chloe and Alex. No wonder Sir Millar is

smiling!

Sir Millar of Flour getting himself ready for a Crusade or

something.

No wonder Europe was quaking in her boots with this lot about to cross the Channel!

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The Voice

I sit rocking backwards and forwards. I am six years old. The

old tree above me does not look as beautiful as it did before, before it happened. Its branches are no longer enriched with beautiful green leaves and luscious red apples. The leaves are now jet black, to match the feathers of the crows which are circling my mind. The apples are grey, decaying, dying.

Back and forward, back and forward I rock. My eyes dart here and there like a pendulum. My legs are still shaking, my teeth still chattering. I feel like a wound up toy, though I am unable to stop, my key continues to be turned. My hands are clenched firmly round my legs as though I am afraid they will fall off. The veins are throbbing and easily noticeable on my hand. They entwine around my fingers like a snake on a branch. The wind, though soft, seems angry to me, and it is biting at my bare arms like a young crocodile at play. The branches are gnarled and sinister looking. I feel as though I will be ensnared by them at any moment. My whole body feels encaged. I want to forget, yet I can’t forget. I want to be free, yet I will now never be free.

It comes back again. But I know he will. I should have

known. I feel hurt, so hurt. I feel

continuous pain in my heart, which is the only feeling inside me. I will feel it always. I screw up my face in agony. It is not a physical pain.

“Come on, in you come.” No! I did not want to go in. He took

my hand. I now look down at my own hand, so lifeless and grey, to match the world around me. The world is black and white. Good and bad. There seems no good left in the world, not a shred of hope I can cling onto, for all the hope left has slipped through my fingers, unable to be caught and preserved for me and my miserable life. My mouth twitches. My bottom lip wobbles. I look down at the ground unable to cry. I have no tears left. I am as dry as a shrivelled leaf, all moisture evaporated. The happiness inside me plummeted like a stone thrown over a cliff.

“I won’t hurt you, close the door.” The door that prevented my release,

the door that could have protected that hope inside me, the door that might, might, might have saved my happiness, so it could last forever…and I closed it.

I feel like I am enclosed in a room now. My own little room. I have always wanted my own room, with bright blue walls and a purple duvet cover. But these walls are spiky and black, I have no bed to hide myself away in and the windows and doors are shut and barred. No matter how hard I bang on the doors, or open

the window, I can’t get out. The padlock has a key which has been chucked into the fiery dwellings of Hell, and it will never be found.

“Stay still, I won’t hurt you, come nearer.”

My feet, so small. I still can’t believe that such tiny, insignificant things can lead me to such horrors. I can see his face in my mind now and my stomach gives an unpleasant lurch. I close my eyes tight, but his face is still clearly illuminated amongst the gloom. He has a falsely sweet face, and his wrinkles look like they have been carved out of his face with a chisel. He resembled a rat, his face full of malice. His eyes are a dull grey. They were holes and it seemed that if you fell into them, you would never reach the bottom.

Goose bumps have appeared on my arms. I am shivering all over, although it is not cold outside. I am so cold. My heart has gone out. My soul has been sold. My mind has been taken captive. I am no longer alive, even though I feel all kinds of emotions inside me, and even though the pain continues to stab at me; continues to remind me. I feel no longer of use, worthless and alone. And regret will ever more remain in my head, along with his figure, his face and his voice.

Why did I close the door? Octavia Cobb

Book Reviews

The bread Winnerby Deborah Ellis

Imagine not being allowed to go outside; clutching on to your

life by a string; working hard for food while the boiling sun’s rays are beating down on you. This is how many people lived in Afghanistan at the start of the 21st century including some members of the family in this book. This book makes me feel the throbbing days they go through, it makes me imagine the area with its very descriptive writing. This book is not made up, it is reality.

It is about a family living in forlorn Afghanistan. When a tragic thing

happens they realise that they need to act quickly. They realise they need ‘Parvana’, one of the family members, to be transformed into a boy so they can earn money for food. She, however, thinks of other ways to get money.

The character that stood out for me was ‘Parvana’, a girl aged around twelve. She is strong because every morning she fetches many bucketfuls of water for her family to survive on. Parvana mostly gets along with her family except she gets into little fights with her elder sister. She is hard-working and brave. Parvana sort of keeps the family together and alive.

Another character I admire a lot is her Grandpa, who is old and poorly, but still works hard to keep food and money coming into the family. He is probably my favourite character for what he does,

but ‘Parvana’ is more involved in the story.

This book is great. I love this book because it gives us an insight on how much these people suffered and how we take our safe, healthy lives for granted. The families at this time had to be brave like the family you will read about in this book. This is quite a moving book. Not many hugely exciting things happen in ‘The Bread Winner’ but it sucks you into their world. Things that happen in ‘The Bread Winner’ do occur today so if you do choose to read this book, at the end of it, think about everything that happened in it and remember, this still happens today.

Patricia Walker

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Does My Head Look big In This?by Randa Abdel-Fattah

‘Does my Head look Big in This’ is a book that really makes you

realize what it is like to be different to everyone else around you. What it is like to be a Muslim who is going to High School wearing the hijab, the Muslim veil. People would stare at you. No one would talk to you like they did before. That is what it is like for Amal.

Amal is a Muslim. She decides to wear the hajib, full-time! ‘Full-timers’ are what her Muslim friends call people who wear the hijab in front of everyone. Even boys who are not of close family. When she goes shopping with her mum, everyone stares at her and stop talking when she comes near them. Everyone except other Muslims. They smile and wave at her. It is they who get her to school as the book

progresses; Amal begins to get used to her choice. She realises she did the right thing. But sometimes doing the right thing can deprive you of something you have always wanted.

The book is written in 1st person, present time and is a stunning reality of what Muslims have to face. Amal lives near the coast of Australia. She used to go to a Muslim school but then had to go to a local high school. It is ever harder for her there. This book lasts over a term at school.

There are many characters in this book. Amal, Adam, Leila, Yasmeen, Simone and Eileen; the main characters being Amal, Adam and Leila.

Amal is a quiet and intelligent girl and would be nothing without her friends. Throughout this book she gets stronger and copes better with life. She is the type of heroin everyone grows to love and Adam is just the right type of boy for her to have a crush on. He is a

cool, popular boy in her year at school and she thought he would never notice her. He didn’t, until she came to school wearing the hijab. He immediately sees a difference in her and they become very good friends and they have very long conversations on the phone. Amal only wishes her religion could let her be more than just friends with him.

Leila is a girl who used to go to school with Amal. She is completely ruled by her mother. She doesn’t let Leila do anything out of the house. Leila has a strong mind and great determination but soon her mothers control over her is too much for her to handle.

This story makes you realise what it is like to be different to everyone else around you. It shows you what it is like to have racist abuse thrown at you with full force from all angles. It also shows you that people can always get through the hardest part of their lives.

Catherine Hocknell

The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman

This action-packed book takes you back to old, 19th Century

London. The cold, dark passages are filled with thieves in need of a few shillings and the streets are lined with drunken women beaten by their husbands.

Sally Lockhart has to fight for legal right of her two year old daughter Harriet. Harriet has no father and Sally has to look after her while hiding from the evil men, monkeys and money stealers and watching her possessions trickle away.

The bad, yet severely paralysed man, known as the Tzaddik, is set on demolishing all Jews with his freaky monkey Miranda. Sally finds caring people among the evil ones and together they work to solve the mystery behind

the Tzaddik.Sally proves to be a very strong

character throughout the book. She isn’t afraid to break traditions and be one of the few working women; she isn’t afraid to face death and she certainly shows bravery especially at the end of the book.

I feel that I really got to know Sally through all the difficulties she faces. A brilliant Jewish journalist called Daniel Goldberg helps Sally through her troubles, while fighting for the Jews and escaping arrest in many different countries. He is a great character and I would say that everything he does is good and makes someone happy.

Harriet has a very sweet young character who is confused when they are forced to leave their house and live rough. She is inspired by her mother’s bravery and is as brave as possible to follow in her steps. I feel very sorry for this innocent character.

The Tzaddik features a lot and is a very interesting character. He is almost completely paralysed and can only move his head. He is determined to win and he has his reasons why ... you’ll just have to read the book to find out!

‘The Tiger in the Well’ is not the first book in the Sally Lockhart series and I would advise you to start at the beginning of the series to create the most amazing effect possible. I think that the author has a talent to create the old-fashioned picture and place you right there. While I was reading it, I could see, hear and feel everything very clearly and I really felt that I was part of the story. This made it a lot more tense and I couldn’t put the book down at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping novel and I recommend that you read the whole series. I’m definitely going to read more books that Philip Pullman has written and I really can’t wait.

Eliza Plowden

Point blancby Anthony Horowitz

This brilliant story begins in the depths of London on a normal

school day for Alex Rider, or so it seems. But, he gets offered the opportunity by MI6 to go on an extremely important mission to the school of “Point Blanc” which is a correction school run by Doctor Grief for boys who ignores everybody.

This evil man and his fiendish plan involves taking in children and making clones of them, but he puts his evil mind

in the clones, then he kidnaps the real boys and sends the clones back to their parents so he can live forever.

This action packed but slightly unusual story line goes straight from London to high up in the Alps to “Point Blanc”, which, when you read it, is described so well that I actually thought I was there myself. Alex, who is getting into trouble trying to explore, which is part of his job, can tell that there is something very wrong with the school.

I loved reading the book because I found Alex a very interesting and clever character. He was very brave and saved his friend in the face of great danger. He could make a get-away kit out of

an ironing board. But one of the main reasons that I liked reading about him was that he was aware of what was going on so that meant that you were also aware and I thought that was great. I liked reading about Dr. Grief, because he also was a very clever character and had a different idea about his plan and I found that interesting.

In the end I thought that this was a thrilling book to read. It kept me interested and I always wanted to read on. The story line was great because it was a bit different and I would recommend that you read it.

Fergus Black

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Leavers’ Profiles

Well, another batch of leavers and what their thoughts are,

having spent a few years with us. Time passes quickly and even they are saying they can’t quite believe that their time here is at an end.

The Editor wishes to make his unreserved apologies for not including ‘commissioned’ photos with some of the

leavers - I think the dog must have eaten the originals in the past few days!

In addition one or two of the profiles are truncated (euphemism for not finished?) and both these omissions are probably because this end of term was a good sight busier than any other I have known. Children and staff flying about all over the place with trips, outward

bound activities, matches etc. So no wonder a few things have been left undone that ought not to have been left undone. Hopefully, as time wears on, forgiveness will be made!

All the staff wish the Leavers the best of luck in their futures and we hope to hear how they get on.

Harry Cobb (Cobbo) I still remember my first

day at Belhaven. I was immediately welcomed, shown to my dorm and abandoned by Geordie Tulloch whom I’d met at my previous school. I even remember the

first time I ever got “sent out”. Mr Harvey caught

me, Graves, Cuthbert and Wilson with pillows in

our shirts, having a sumo wrestle after lights out… an incident that will be remembered fondly!

Another fond memory was being made to run up the front steps for an hour and a half after lights out by Mr Barbour, also in Form 4. So, as you can see, I had yet to learn the art of not being caught.

My memories of Form 3 aren’t many. Putting pins in Birdy’s bed while he (frequently) went to the loo, thinking about it, he always sat on them when a teacher was in the room: Wilson hiding by his desk while Mr Baylis sat reading his paper on Wilson’s bed… for 25 minutes! Annoying Mrs Owenson and being sent to the “naughty chair”: and of course… the 3B camping trip with the wedgie line and Birdy falling in the river. Sharing a two-man tent with William Cuthbert (who was totally hyper!) and Toby Moynan is quite an experience and I don’t suggest that you try it.

My best memories are mostly in Form 1… that’s what Belhaven’s all about! Playing for Scottish Prep-schools Rugby, the night when Fergus and Jojo dressed up as the cooks and whizzed around the dining room on a food trolley (Jojo was pushing… amazingly, both of them lived), making a spoof movie in the Spring term (it never went anywhere but the out takes would have been better than the film… classics, all of them!), going on leavers outward bound (and being made to stand one legged on a wobbly 30ft pole) and then the cricket tour (and actually winning a match)

I’ll miss everything about this place,

especially my friends and I’ll certainly be coming back for a visit, and laughing at how short Mr Harvey’s become, in the near future.

Alasdair Bird (Dropsy)

When I started at Belhaven I was nervous, excited, thrilled and scared all at once. There were 15 people in our year. I knew several of them. Hewie Dalrymple just helped me unpack and I just entered Mrs Todd’s class room (now Mrs Parks’s room).

My first dorm was Dorm 9. It had Geordie, Paddy, Frederick and Angus (who left at the end of Form 4.) I met some of the people I would spend the next 5 years of my life with. Our first sport lesson is yes of course the Thursday Run. It was rubbish. The next day we play Rugby with Bennie. I found out that I was rubbish at that too. In the next term Christopher Ralph joined our year. We played Hockey for the first time. I was better at that than rugby. In the summer term I remember Mr Gale trying to show us some cricket shots. Instead he just tried to slog it and got bowled by Fergus.

In Form 4 we had Mr Barbour for Rugby and Bennie for hockey and cricket. I was a Shepherd boy in the play at Christmas.

In Form 2 it was time to be the big ones of the school. All the staff were away having babies (good grief! Ed). Form two was not the best of years but we were allowed better films and more sweets. We went to Murrayfield and Camera-Obscura.

Form 1 was where the fun began. We went to Hadrian’s Wall which was long and good fun to walk along. I had been moved up into 1o. I got in to the Dandelions. We lost to the WOSPS It

was a great match and I really enjoyed it. We went to the Stenton Footlights. After C.E everyone was happy and sad. It meant our tome at Belhaven was coming to an End. We went on our outward bounds. It was fun all the climbing and Kayaking we did. It was a great last year with all the fun. We also went on a tour and did not lose a game.

I have loved my time at Belhaven and would not swap it for anything in the world. I know that everyone in my year will do well at their next school. I wish them all well. It’s been great five years with some great laughs and fun. I like to say thank you to everyone at Belhaven and hope to see you soon in the near future. Thank you.

Anna Will (banana)I have loved

this school so much while I have been here and I never will stop but now I am leaving I love it even more and am not taking every second for granted. Time has passed so quickly and I find it so hard that I am writing this already. I have enjoyed it all, even the Thursday run in the snow and rain with a gale blowing I still enjoyed (well kind off) and the dark mornings when Miss Mac came singing ‘good morning’ at the top of her voice attempting to wake us up (it didn’t usually work). I am going to miss everyone so much - all the teachers and all the pupils but most of all my friends and year.

I came here in Form 3 and though I was shy then, I am far from that now. The only thing I really remember in Form three is camping when I managed to sleep on Wisha’s head and Kirsty and I freezing to death making hot chocolate (it had to be the best in the world though).

In Form 2 it was great as I started boarding! On my first night I remember Emma snoring so loudly that I couldn’t get to sleep. At the end of the year we did

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Aesop’s fables, I’m not even going start on that! I also particularly remember Harvey’s assemblies which we always made up at the last possible moment but were still so much fun! I loved them so much that I even came into school instead of going to the hospital to have my broken arm plastered. I also have a very vivid memory of our Latin lessons and Pizy always losing her pink pen! Going to Murrayfield and seeing the changing rooms and running out onto the pitch was great!

Form 1 has been amazing! I have had so much fun despite the horrible C.E. which, once over, has to be the most relieving thing I have ever felt! We ripped up so much revision that we lay down in it and made angels and threw it everywhere (so much fun). After half term it has been action packed which is really tiring but really fun. Outward bound, Pease bay, leavers rock, cricket and Rounders tour, I want to do it all again! It has been really fun making the film and it will be great to have it to remind me of all the great times we have had.

Things I will never forget: the first term in Form 1 when Kirsty and I were in a dorm with the Form 2 and Miss Hughes never finding us with a book: Friday lunches: lots and lots of laughing: swimming at Pease bay: Red stairs: Toast: Miss Mac’s tutorials and much more. I have had so much fun at this school with all the people inside it but I am excited to go to Q.M’s and I hope I will make as good friends there as I have had here. I am glad I am going with good friends. I will miss everyone so much especially my year and my friends.

Arabella Bradley (B)By the time

people read this I will have left and be remembered for crying A LOT at the end of term and also for many other things I

would like to forget! I have enjoyed Belhaven so much and writing this alone brings me to tears. I have put up with the same people for 4 years and still can’t imagine life without them. I have always thought our year extremely close though we do fight a lot and get into trouble (obviously it is because we are such a big year!) but we have always had a special bond.

When I first arrived I must admit I was bit of a loser/geek (Occy still thinks the same!). And since then I have got louder, more hyper and blonder! As Eliza says her hair is getting darker so she must be getting cleverer, my hair is definitely getting blonder, I won’t say any more! I have changed a lot (hopefully

for the better) and have grown up with everyone else.

I have had awesome dorms, Occy, Kirsty, Alex and Wisha was a pretty good dorm to start off with and I have many good memories. I can remember how I and Occy didn’t know what to expect of Alex and used to call her the weird Chinese girl (we hadn’t met her and I think Harry would kill us if we said that now!). Apart from that dorm Form 3 was really bad because we all disliked each other and we were constantly being told of for being antisocial (asboic!).

I was in the senior girl’s house first term of Form 2 with Occy, Grace and Phania. It was great fun and Phania Grace and I used to convince Occy to do some pretty funny things. I think Occy and I didn’t know what to expect and had a better time than we imagined. I can remember jumping out of Oak’s window and knocking on Beech’s dorm window (It completely freaked out Beeb!). Form 2 was a complete rave, we messed about loads and didn’t get told off too much! The year above and us got on so well and we all had loads of fun!

Form 1 has been a mixture of fun, tiredness, fun, hunger, fun, getting in trouble, fun and well FUN! I have got closer with my friends and teachers. I must warn next year’s Form 1 that it is the best and worst year of your life. The first night back is amazing: toast, red stairs, senior girls house (if you’re a girl), later bedtime! Then the next morning you are reminded 3 terms to common entrance! Slight reality check! I have found in Form 1 that I have a few slight problems such as; I have NO short term memory and I can’t revise! (Total rubbish. Ed)

Lastly I will miss the teachers (even when they’re angry). I have learnt so much from them and all pupils at Belhaven should learn to be grateful for the attention and caring they give to you. I will miss everyone here so much so I would like to say thank you for everything! I have made friends and memories which will last forever.

Cameron Hardie (Pothead the Brave)

When I came for my day in Form 5 I had no idea what to expect. That ignorance led to me getting a minus point. Even after my incident with Mrs Owenson at lunch I couldn’t wait to come for good. Unfortunately I didn’t

get that wish until Form 2. After my first lesson with Miss Wimbledon I was set free into break. During break I was about to play rugby when I was greeted from Wisha with, ‘Who’s he?’

After my first four weeks boarding I had already lost count of how many times I had been ‘sent out’ (It didn’t help having Tulloch in my dorm). My best memories are probably from the whole time I have been here because I have only been at Belhaven since Form 2.

My first time ever playing rugby was in pouring rain and Mr Harvey trying to make me play hooker but in the end he slackened off and let me go flanker. There was also the time when I was put 12th batsmen for the 3rd XI (maybe not my most achieving sporting record). But having that behind me I ended up going on the cricket tour.

My last year was the more enjoyable year of my two because of various reasons. Being in the 1st XV rugby team, leaver’s outward bound, the cricket tour and other Form 1 privileges.

Over all my Belhaven was a great two years of my life.

Catherine Hocknell (Chat)

Before I came to Belhaven I always remember picking my sister up from school, listening to her praises, wishing I could come here. In the end, after two years of waiting, I did.

Ever since my first day in Form 5 I have dreaded this moment. From Form 5 till Form 1 the year group has changed a lot. One reason is that in Form 5 there were only three girls. Now there are ten. In Form 5 there were only 16 of us. There are now 30! When I was in Form 5 there were only 4 day girls in the whole school and I was the only one in Form 5. Kirsty and Antonia were both borders.

In Form 4 everything changed. There were 8 girls and more than 20 boys. A very big difference for us all. There were new teachers and a lot of new faces. One teacher who wasn’t too keen on us was Mr Barbour. He always got annoyed when someone like Graves said, “Sir I’ve finished this page, should I go onto the next one?” Mind you I can see why. When Mr Barbour left he said we were his most hated year. In a way he is lucky; he only had our Form for 1 year! We had Dr Nicholson for about a term and I always remember her giving us names and characters. I was a witch. Ah, the good days.

Form 3 was the year that all the girls had arguments over bead shops. It was

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also the year when I started boarding and Anna and Alex arrived. I was in the shop ‘Beads R Us’ and the enemy shop was ‘Azac’. In the end I found it all so annoying that I left ‘Beads R Us’ and tried to be a peace-maker. In the end Miss Mac sorted it all out. I remember being in Larch and as soon as we heard some one walking down the corridor someone shouted “Dhileas” and we all jumped into our beds. 9 times out of 10, it was Dhileas!

Form 2 with Mr Harvey. What a laugh! Easy plus points for handing in weeks marks sheets and lollies on your birthday. Pity mine is in the middle of the summer holidays! One thing I remember of that year was Mr Harvey’s assemblies. One time, when we were doing the one on the Marathon Des Sables, Mr Townshend wanted to know what we were doing so tried to take pictures through the window. We saw a camera at the window so somebody (not mentioning any names) stood on a chair and pulled a stupid face at it. In our next lesson with Mr Townshend, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw the picture. The look on his face will stay in my mind for ever. At the end of Form 2 my older sister left… but my younger sister arrived. Am I always going to be in a school with them?!

Form 1! I have had four years to get up to this point and at last I was there. Now it’s finally over. I have gone through many things in my final year at Belhaven. Tutorials with Miss Mac with Anna looking for a diamond screaming “WERE’S MY RHOMBUS?” in a game we played called ‘Time Stoppers’. Now that was fun! Another thing is every girl in our year stripping Kirsty’s bed and teasing her. At one point, when I was in a dorm with her, she asked Miss Mac if she could sleep in the boot room because we were so mean. Luckily she forgave us…in the end! There were many new things for us to do like the tour to Yorkshire (where I lost most of my sports kit), outward bounds when we had a huge water fight and some one ‘accidentally’ chucked water at Miss Wimbledon, and eating as much toast as possible in the evenings! Having fun at night and chatting 24/7! Our Form is the biggest there has ever been and you can tell because we are also the loudest.

Our film we are busy doing at the moment is very exciting and I don’t think any of us can wait until it is finished and we get to go and see the Premiere. Our last year is very important for friendships so it is even harder to let go of everything you know so well and leave for ever.

Finn Curry (Currymuncher)

I came to Belhaven in Form 5 and I think got off on the wrong foot as a Daily.

As I came more or less to school once a week as many of the staff from 5 years ago will remember but after the weeks progressed I decided it wasn’t so bad and decided a full week wouldn’t be too hard.

In Form 4 I learnt the lesson not to snitch because it was the most uncool thing anybody in the world could think of.

I remember Mrs Owenson sending me to the NAUGHTY chair! Oh it was soooo depressing, also notice sarcastic part of my writing!

And then there was the hall chair which is for… a second offence, where the miserable child would sit on a chair waiting for judgment day from MO!

Oh no!As I progressed to my senior years

and became slightly more responsible, and had to learn the depressing skill of tying a tie, and also becoming a border. It was a great experience and also gave me a much wider choice of schools I could go to.

But all in all it has been a good run in life and I am looking forward to moving on!

David Dalrymple (Dave)

I turned up in Form 3 in the Autumn term and found I was in a dorm with Toby Moynan, Christopher Ralph, William Cuthbert, George Ellis Hancock.

In Form 2, Cameron, the new American who he seemed to be amazing at everything, soon ran out of the one week warranty then he could start joining in the usual dorm battles. In Form 1 I was in a dorm with Rettie, Millar and Cameron. I have had a great time at Belhaven and I hope that all the traditions continue.

Eliza Plowden (Poo)When my

parents decided to send me to Belhaven, I was thrilled. Many of my friends were there and I would be moving on with Occy and B, with Anna following a year later. This made me very exited and as I arrived at Belhaven, very nervous and intimidated by all the big people and long names, I quickly got used to everyone and made loads of new friends. I joined 4g and spent most of my time sitting next to Catherine Hocknell who looked after me very well, showing me how things worked around the school. My first year was great. I got to know loads of new people and, along with the rest of the girls, spent many hours running away from Graves and doing all those things that Form 4-ers find so entertaining!

Form 3 went past in a blur. Anna and Alex came and most people started boarding. I can’t remember much of it apart from being thrilled by myself for beating the Form 1 girls in the Thursday run, unaware that they weren’t trying! I started boarding in the summer, helped by my great friends and doing “great” in the doubles with B!

Form 2 was exciting, seniority was great and the white shirts arrived but yet the year buzzed by and soon we were top of the school!

I started Form one very excited but sad that we would be leaving in less than a year. It was so hard to believe that my friends were head girl and boy and we were finally allowed on the red stairs! I had a great first term of my last year. The dandies’ hoodies settled in and the netball season ended (the following term) very successfully with an unbeaten season! The spring term was action packed. I did my entrance exam to Queen Margaret’s, we produced Oliver (in which I was a very proud ‘Woman 1!’) and we started to realise that we only had one term left. One of my memories from the term was being in a dorm with Anna, Wisha and Alex. I was woken at some horrendous hour by Anna getting into my bed, sleepwalking of course, and determined that it was her bed and trying to push me out!

The summer term, the last term which I’ve been dreading, came quite suddenly. Shocked and amazed that I was head girl alongside Black, I came back to Belhaven prepared to have the best term of them all! So much has happened this term! We had the highland games at my house (which Wolves won!) and French listening and mental maths for common entrance on my birthday. Funny, yet sad

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was the Sunday lunch when I burst into tears, exclaiming how the term was our last and we should all make the best of it!

Now the end of the year has really come it has hit me hard and I wish we had just a bit more time!

Common entrance dawned and ended, taking that HUGE weight off our shoulders and allowing us to relax! We all went into dorm and ripped up our mock papers, text books and revision before lying in it, soaking up the relief that we all felt, and making revision angels! (Just like snow angels but in paper!)

Sports day arrived and wolves nailed! (Doing well eh? not that I contributed much to our gargantuan* number of points!)

We arrived back after half term to the busiest two weeks ever. Outward bound was more luxurious than expected and extremely enjoyable with loads of fun activities, water fights and the scary pole climb. Pease Bay came as a surprise on a foggy day which turned out good and our big and tall form weren’t exactly amazing at defending leavers’ rock but we were pretty good (I would say) and had a great time! Bird took about 20 minutes trying to jump off the rock and did so at the end of the day; I had fulfilled my aim by doing the same myself!

The rounders tour was really fun and camping in the de Klee’s garden made it great. While getting organised in the morning, Occy screamed (and we know how she screams!) and found a huge beetle on her leg. It was so funny at the time because it sounded really serious and you should have seen her face!

My last term has been amazing, such a shame it wasn’t longer. (But then I suppose I’d miss the holidays!)

My last year has been amazing as well; making the film has been a highlight of it. I love filming and it has been such a good experience.

My time at Belhaven had been amazing and I have loved every minute of it and can’t imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t come here.

I’m going to miss everything so much. My mum told me the other day, ‘I think you’re only sad because you’re leaving your friends, not because you’re leaving the school’. I know she didn’t mean it exactly like that but she had a point; I’m going to miss everyone more than anything else. Everyone has got so close and everyone is such a good friend of mine that it’ll be so weird starting anew and not being in a class with all those people who aren’t going to QM’s.

Being at Belhaven has been such a good part of my life and I’ll treasure every memory. I’m so relieved that my little siblings are remaining here so I can come and see everyone and everything!

Yes, sorry, I am coming back! xxx* = Antonia uses the word gargantuan

a lot and Kirsty and I find it such a funny and intellectual word that I just had to use it!

Elliot Graves (Gravesy)

Through all my time at Belhaven I have had a lot of fun. When I first came I was in a Dorm with James Wilson, Christopher Ralph, William Cuthbert and Harry Cobb. Soon after a week I was sent to the HALL CHAIR for the first time by the lovely and caring Mrs Roddis. The reason: lobbing a red cup at Wilson’s head. I was absolutely terrified but soon after I realized that the hall chair was really not that bad because I was going to be sent there a lot more than once!

The first Dorm Feast I had was going to be a BIG surprise. After an hour Cuthbert cave us a little surprise! My time at Belhaven has been so great and I will be very sad to leave. Although I will be sad to miss Belhaven I am happy to be moving on to Public School. I will miss many things about Belhaven especially Benny Rages and Mr Harvey’s Famous wake up’s on camera. Thank You Belhaven, I will miss you!

Fergus Black (gum)

From my first day to my last I can see why my parents sent me here. From the day that I walked through the door I could tell that I was going to love it. In my first class there were 16 children, and all of them have accompanied me through the five years as my best friends.

The best thing about Belhaven is definitely the sports, which properly started in Form 4 when I was playing rugby with Harry Cobb, Geordie Tulloch and then in Form 1 playing for the Scottish prep-schools with a lot of Belhaven team mates; it was great. The hockey also was brilliant and the best in the top year with Mr Peek and Mr Harvey screaming at you if you missed the ball! The best though was the cricket, and thanks to Mr Osborne and Mr Townshend we were allowed to go on

a tour to Yorkshire and were unbeaten against Terrington Hall and Bramcote.

The staff at Belhaven have been brilliant all the way through the school with Mr Harvey screaming “you boys,” every time we did something wrong in the school.

Form 1 has definitely been the best year with the best memories. Although C.E. was the thing that made everybody worried. But with the Tour, Leavers outward bound and winning the Strathallan Sixes with a great team, it was definitely the best year of my life at Belhaven.

It will be very sad to leave the staff and all the people at Belhaven and I hope that everybody enjoys their time at their new schools.

Alex Riley (Alex!)My time at

Belhaven is sadly coming to an end after only three years at Belhaven, unlike everyone else in my year.

Academic work has never been my strong point but I have really improved in the time I have been here with help of all the staff. I have also loved all the sport at Belhaven. Thanks to Mrs. G who has taught me how to play rounders and netball which I had never even heard of before I came to Belhaven. We were unbeaten in the under 11’s netball, 1st’s netball and if we beat Ardvreck next week 1st’s rounders (you remain unbeaten as the match had to be cancelled! Ed).

My highlights at Belhaven will always be having dorm feast, seeing India and Beth going wild in the pillow fights and I will also never forget Hallowe’en games in the girls’ house with the baked beans covering the phone room and spaghetti all over the place. The tour and out-ward bounds I will also not forget - sleeping out side in tents, doing dares and playing cards. There are also a lot of other things I will miss. “The Thursday run” is not one of them! Although Marlborough does a lot of drama I will miss all of the school plays and miss being Charlotte and Aesop … a little bit! I also had quite a big responsibility in the middle term of being head girl which actually wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

I will miss Belhaven when I leave and everyone there.

Geordie Tulloch

(Rambo)H a v i n g

practically lived here for over half

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my life, I was pretty much used to the surroundings that greeted me. I am the last of 4 Tullochs and by this time my parents are getting quite fed up! I was one of 16 to join in Form 5 and 15 people accompanied by many more a long the way were going to be my best friends for the next 5 years of my life.

Watching the likes of Ivan de Klee playing rugby in what seemed like a huge Form 1, I then knew I was in for a great 5 years of sport. Getting in the Scottish Prep Schools rugby was a huge achievement and winning the Strath sixes was another. I have had many great memories, one of the more humorous ones being when I was put in a dorm with Fergus Black, Alexander Millar and Rafe Seymour. Whilst he was looking down the corridor, hitting me with a pillow, he thought he saw a teacher and so jumped over mine and Alexander’s beds only to trip over his own and hit his head very hard on the wall sending a huge thud through the house and there was not even a teacher there!

The staff here have been fantastic. The likes of Mr Osborne and Mr Townshend taking us on tour and Mr Harvey and Mr Peek getting so competitive on the rugby pitch but never actually prevailing to beat us firsts.

Form 1 proved to be the best year. If you take away the element of C.E. it was almost certainly the best year of my life. As I mentioned, the tour was fantastic, the outward bound was fun but wet and winning the Strath sixes was incredible. The highlight of the year though was the rugby. We had a good season and although we could have been unbeaten we lost to Ardvreck and Craigclowan. We got to the final of the Ardvreck sevens and were then undone by Ardvreck.

I would just like to say thank you to the staff, sport and friends. It will be very sad to leave not just the school but all of these as well. (Presumably this boy enjoyed his sport? Ed)

George Ellis Hancock (Gellish)

I came to this school in Form 3. I was met by Toby moynan and I was in dorm 5. I am very sad that my 3 years at Belhaven Hill has to come to an end, but I am longing to

start at Sherborne. I have had great fun at Belhaven; my friends have been so supportive to me and telling me to push that extra bit further with revision and they have done a lot to me to help me pass C.E. It was great that everybody in my year passed the dreaded C.E.

I have loved the sports here at

Belhaven. The memory which will keep in my mind forever is being in the firsts for rugby and cricket. I have loved being at Belhaven. It has been such a fun three years of my life. I will keep my friends in my mind for ever. If I have the chance to I will definitely (the word George typed was defiantly - maybe I should have left it at that! Ed) come back to visit Belhaven again.

Henry Dobson (Dobbo)Through my

time at Belhaven I have learned many things; to avoid unnecessary music practice by pretending that Mr Gale wasn’t actually talking to

me, to tolerate Gravesy’s foul language, (and his distasteful r’n’b music); that sport and guitar playing come way before work! but most important… HEADBANGING ALONG TO SLIPKNOT EVERY NIGHT! (Oh dear! Ed)

Being bigger than everyone up to two years older than me I have had great fun; spraying Mr Harvey’s hair red(er) on dorm feast and stopping the previous Form 1ers from spraying me with cream by nicking the cans and locking them out. It has also been strangely amusing getting told off by teachers half my size; the best one has to have been the 5 foot Miss Pizovaskicz who got me absolutely nailed for stacking a plate. Yes, that’s right, stacking a plate!

I have been referred to by M.O. as a ‘dark horse’ and I have been known by close friends as an ‘original prankster!’ We have done some great and inventive things like making tea, coffee and hot chocolate after lights-out and keeping my dog ‘Milly’ in dorm for 2 days with out anyone noticing, requesting 10,000 fortune cookies from the local Chinese joint and shooting pigeons from the dorm window with a black widow sling shot. (So you thought we didn’t know? The cookies were great! Ed)

Belhaven has been the best 5 years of my life (so far) and I wish I could stay here for another 5 years! Actually to be honest I’m defiantly (Should this word stay? Probably! Ed) ready to leave!

Hugh Rettie (Rettie)

I came to Belhaven in Form 4 after leaving Compass in Haddington. I

arrived in Form 4 and was greeted by “RALPH”. I began to be bored in Form 3, I was homesick and though now really enjoying it. My first dorm contained Ralph, Wilson, and Bird. Wilson and Bird would talk about politics and Ralph and I would be clueless as to what they were talking about. Form 1 has been so much fun - we won the Strathallan 6-a-side hockey which I will always remember; we were the only team who decided on going for match tea. The work in Form 1 has been enjoyable but HARD.

I have never been an enthusiastic actor but I did enjoy the Form 1 play of Oliver even though I had a record number of 1 line. I had three parts, Fagin’s Boy, Orphan and Street Man and I have really enjoyed it. Form 1 has been great - a bit more responsibility being patrol leader. I have learned to play the bag pipes since I have been here and I have enjoyed all of it, playing at sports day for the first time was really nerve-wracking. 2nd XI cricket will always be a strong memory. Swing and miss is the motto. I got into the 1st XI for the tour which was great fun.

I have really enjoyed the final two weeks because the staff have organised a great programme for us to do, such as leavers’ outward bounds, which I really liked. I am looking forward to playing the father sons and mother daughters, but I won’t be playing with my mum, I will be playing with my sister (maybe the better option!). The Tullochs have organised a leavers’ party at their house which will be fun. (It certainly was! Ed)

I have enjoyed all the time I have had a Belhaven and will miss the staff and everyone at the school. But don’t think I am not going to come back, I will be back to watch Archie, my brother, in matches (if he gets in the team).

James Wilson (Wizlon)I came to my

first day not really knowing what to expect. On our first night in my first dorm (consisting of Cuthbert, Cobb, Ralph and Graves) we all got a minus point or 2. We got into a lot of trouble. We all used to stuff pillows up our shirts and write things on the wall with invisible ink. We got caught once and Mr Harvey couldn’t stop laughing when graves said it was named “Fatty BoomBoom”!

The highlight of Form 4 had to be the crazy camping trip when the girls 5 man tent collapsed on Annabel who was snoring inside and also my hoodie was covered in fish blood!

Form 3 was brilliant fun. I remember Mr Baylis always raging at us because

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we upset all the teachers and he gave me and Jojo simple tasks every night to try and get us out of the minus. I remember ending up on +9. A personal best which still stands to this day. I got my first and only ever piece of artwork put up (the art teacher did it for me). We had another awesome camping trip where I lost my welly in a stream. Luckily for me, Cuthbert went to get it for me, unluckily for him, he fell into the stream and down a mini waterfall and ended up getting soaked with no spare dry clothes.

Form 2 was when Common Entrance dawned on us or so the teachers told us. This was my favourite year because I made some really good friends. I wasn’t great at sport but I loved every moment of it. One of my favourite things was in art when we had the biggest clay fights.

Form 1 was Common Entrance and we had to revise a little (only a little). It has been great though because we’ve had endless privileges and after C.E. we have been on tour, done outward bounds, Pease Bay and had a south African touring team to get thrashed by.

All in all I have really enjoyed my time at Belhaven and made some awesome friends. Although it is time to move on I will always have fond memories of the school.

Joell Holland Jenkins (Jojo)

When I arrived in Form 5 on the front steps of

Belhaven, I didn’t have a clue what to expect. The school was a huge change from my previous one (Edinburgh Academy). Not being in the city was strange at first but after a while I began to enjoy it more and was glad that I had made the change.

The thing about Belhaven I will always remember is the sport. When I was in Form 5 I was constantly teased on the rugby pitch for ‘picking daisies’ but as time went on I grew and managed to make the teams for rugby and eventually achieved my potential by making the Scotland U13 prep schools’ squad.

The sport will not be the only memories I will have of Belhaven though. I will savour many memories of funny moments and experiences such as David Dalrymple running down the red stairs naked (in Form 2) and getting caught by Mr Banbury and me knocking over Adam Baynes in a pillow fight.

All in all, I have had a great time here and will miss it very much.

John Macaulay

(Jonnie Mac)

How on earth do you squeeze five magnificent years that have been jam-packed with wonderful experiences into two or three paragraphs? It’s impossible, so I propose to focus only on the bare essentials.

The joys of the summer term with the “heated” pool, Pease Bay, sports day, and the performance of Oliver in the spring term, have provided me with wonderful memories. In Oliver we sang “I’ll do anything for you” but Belhaven has done everything for me. In fact I really believe that our theme song should be “Consider yourself lucky to be one of us”. And although the dreaded Thursday run was something of an ordeal, now that I am about to leave I feel that I will miss it.

Although I haven’t been the greatest of sportsmen to grace the rugby, hockey and cricket fields of Belhaven (I’ve proved that I’m an accurate scorer for cricket), I feel that I have always tried my best. Whatever my limitations I have always enjoyed Belhaven sport. Playing “Seconds” rugby with Mr. Peek as our inspiration was particularly memorable. Also being a reserve for the firsts, sometimes.

I’ve tried to think back to previous Forms, but it all becomes something of a pleasurable blur. I know I enjoyed Form five because of the delightful Mrs. Todd. Subsequent Forms have had many highs and very few lows. One low spot was the Barbour’s and the Baylis’ departure. Belhaven has taught me that teachers may come and go but they do make an impression. This year I have missed Mr. Burnett. The explosions were not life-threatening! In fact Latin is a subject I propose to continue with when I go to Loretto.

Moving on means leaving Belhaven. I’ve made wonderful friends. The teachers have taught me to understand the importance of learning. I feel that winning the English Speaking Competition this year and gaining a scholarship to Loretto were important achievements for me. I have memories I’ll treasure for ever.

Kirsty Landale (Krust)I never

imagined the day I would have to write this! I love Belhaven so much and can’t imagine life without it. I am going to miss the summer term weather, the sports, all the fun the fun we have in lessons and lots more.

I remember coming here in Form 5 and there were only 3 girls. Toine, Chat and I. Toine and I were the only borders and being only 8 I felt very small especially as we were completely outnumbered by boys - there were 13 of them in Form 5.

When we moved into Form 4 it was such a change as the number of girls practically tripled. One of my best memories of Form 4 was when we went camping! The girl’s tent blew away and so we were squashed into a 2 man tent (the worst night’s sleep I have ever had!) I remember Birdy hopping around in his boxers shouting ‘stress, stress’ looking as if he was about to fly away, until he fell into an enormous patch of nettles. It was so funny (obviously not for him).

When we moved up into Form 3 Anna and Alex were the only new girls! Alex was from Hong Kong so was a boarder and Anna started being a daily. In Form 3 most of the girls were boarders this is the year that nobody liked we were always in trouble or having talks from Miss Mac practically every second day about the arguments that took place a lot in Form 3! Another memory of Form 3 is when we were sitting in Form teachers down in Mr. Baylis’ classroom, when suddenly a pen lid came flying at my head and shortly afterwards Mr Baylis was standing above me ripping up the timetable I had been reading under my desk.

Form 2 was so much fun being a senior. I felt very grown up and being in 2h was especially fun as we were welcomed every morning by Mr Harvey who usually told the girls that they were far too loud and the ships on the Firth of Forth would turn around at the sound of our loud voices and tuneful morning singing, which the boys did not enjoy. We would always look forward to doing Mr Harvey’s assembly and our NEVER ENDING Latin lessons with Mr Burnett which Pizy always seemed to lose her pink pen in. I will also remember the middle term in Form 2 when I shared a bunk with Occy and one night I thought I would never stop laughing it was so funny. In the summer term in Form 2, Wisha and I were in a Form 1 dorm and had the best thing ever that when a teacher was coming we would

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do a synchronised somersault onto our beds, pick up our books and lie there as if we were reading - it was so cool but usually didn’t work!

Form 1 is a year I will never forget. When we first moved into Form 1 it was strange without everyone at the top of school and especially strange being separated from Weeza as we had been together since the age of 3. There have been so many good memories of Form 1; Anna and I being caught every Tuesday reading by Miss Hughes so in the end she gave up; funny tutorials with Miss Mac; times that I have never laughed so hard in dorm; French lessons when Occy is always armed with a pen to attack me; my bed constantly being striped in Oak; being in teams and going on tour to Yorkshire; outward bounds and loads of other memories that I will never forget.

These last two weeks of term have been very tiring but the most memorable 2 weeks ever! My last year has gone way too quickly and I wish I could do the whole thing over and over again. I will miss Belhaven so much, the school, the teachers, all the happy people, but most of all my friends.

Alexander Millar (Millar) I’m very sad

that my time at Belhaven is coming to end. I started in Form 5 feeling very nervous. I was in a dorm with Toby

Moynan, Henry Dobson, Joel Holland-Jenkins and Fergus Black - all of whom are now good friends of mine.

The first night we were all talking when suddenly without thinking I said to everyone, “Should we run away?” Not the best thing to say on your first night!

I vividly remember the first rugby game which we lost but it was great fun. I was in the patrol Owls which was great but the only thing was that they were known for not being very good. But later that summer we won the Patrol Shield! I learned to play the piano with Mr Gale which was fun and I enjoy playing. The only annoying thing now is that we have to get up early to do our practice.

I don’t really enjoy acting but this time I enjoyed the play Oliver. I have really enjoyed my time at Belhaven but I’m looking forward to going to Harrow!

Patrick Arbuthnott (Paddy)

My experiences of Belhaven Hill have been good, bad and also very

ugly. From the good times, birthdays, being picked for a team or going on an outing to York or Alnwick castle. The bad, not being pick for a team, one of Mr Peek’s famous “half time flips”. The ugly, THE SCHOOL FOOD, the ominous smells coming from the kitchen.

One of the main aspects of Belhaven is to have a good dorm. It is especially important to have a good dorm in Form 1. Also the sport is a very big thing. I have had some great memories of Belhaven and now I will uncover some of these.

Walking into the Form 5 room and seeing everyone for the first time then was promptly shouted at for not sitting down quickly enough. Going on one of Mr Baylis’ 50 mile hikes up hills almost as tall as Ben Nevis. And finally stepping onto the red stairs and up till then if you touched the stairs, a swat team would appear and “take you down”.

I will leave with my memories of the teachers. Monsieur Rullière’s “You will not pass common entrance”. Mr Peek’s “Guys, start playing properly or I’ll take you off and play myself.” Mr Townshend’s “Stop talking or I’ll take all of your breaks, FOR THE WHOLE YEAR”. Mr Pinchin’s “Amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant. Now decline moneo”. Miss Cowan’s “Ok, who can tell me what geomorphologicalmetrictonitis is?” Mr Gale’s “I can hear you”, when he stood outside the door at night. Mr Harvey’s “One more time Graves, what is an English king?” Mr Osborne’s “If you times π by 150 and then divide the circumference you get 3.677839527848”. Mrs Owenson’s “Go to the naughty chair”. Mrs Gale’s “One or two of you…” And I’ll leave you to ponder who this is: “I have been here for 25 years!” Thanks Belhaven.

Christopher Ralph (Ralphy)

I arrived at Belhaven in the second term in Form 5. Before I came to Belhaven I went to a school in Haddinton called The Compass. I have had many good memories at Belhaven.

I remember my second dorm feast, at Belhaven, I, Ram, Dobbo, Cuthbert, Cobb and Boniface (the French tourist who left but never returned). In the under elevens I was in the rugby and hockey but in Form 1 I was in all the teams. I got my colours in rugby and

hockey. I have many friends. I will always remember winning the Strathallan Sixes. We are undefeated in England. And I thank the teachers for their support. I have enjoyed my time and it will be sad to leave.

Toby Moynan (Moynan)I started in

Form Five a term earlier than the rest of my Form so was one of the youngest with Antonia Ward and Frederick De Klee. Frederick and I were great mates, he broke my brace and I almost bit his leg off, as you can tell we didn’t get on too well, but I say it’s character building. Frederick and I are now great friends.

One of my strongest memories of Form 5 was when Ferdy Campbell stuck his fist in Frederick’s Mississippi Mud chocolate spread in the middle of the night pretending he was “hungry”.

One thing I love doing is sitting down with Frederick and Henry Dobson and making up nick names for the staff and the pupils. Those nicknames will remain unknown.

Form 3 was my best year although it was the worst for the staff! Form 3 was when the songs ‘Marcus est iratus’ and ‘Take Your Composition And Put It In Your Portfolio’ were invented by me and my mates Jo-Jo, Wilson and Cobb, the legend of those songs still lives to this day.

My favourite memories in Form 3 were when I was in Dorm 5 when after lights out William Cuthbert said (more like shouted) to the dorm, ‘Guys I’d shut up cause Galie (Mr Gale) is outside evesdropping.’ Galie barged in to the dorm and said, ‘Right Cuthbert get out.’ After a good talking to Cuthbert came back wetting himself with laughter.

The other favourite memory was in Dorm 5, again, but with different people. We brought in hot chocolate and tea and had it after lights out for a whole term. Sorry, but now you know.

Form 1, the pranks are great like when this term (my idea) when Dobson phoned up the school and said, “Please may I speak to my son Toby?” Someone picked up the phone and came to get me. One thing that annoyed the teachers was Weekends Out For Toby Moynan! Living in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Belgium I didn’t tend to pop home a couple thousand of miles just for two days so Mr Harvey made a fuss when it’s actually me who had to do the sorting out.

Through time at Belhaven I have learnt to be loyal to my friends and to

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respect the staff. Belhaven has been a great experience and I will miss Belhaven a lot. I’ve had some friends at Belhaven who are unique and I’ll never get friends like them but I’m sure I will make some good friends at Radley.

Cheers Belhaven.

Patricia Walker (Wisha)I’ve loved this

school with all my heart, all the people in it and everything about it [except the Thursday run]. The people I’ve

met here are amazing. They’re so nice.When I went to Gullane primary I

remember my brother and sister coming back from Belhaven for the weekend and hearing all the great things about it. After my time at Belhaven I now know it’s all true. I was especially jealous when my brother and sister would come back from school with bags of leftover dorm feast.

Time goes so quickly, wow, it doesn’t feel like four years of my life has passed here. It almost feels like yesterday it was my ‘day’, when I was scoffing down my jam roly poly, DELISH!

Part of me wants to go off to my next school to meet new people and see new things but the fact is more of me wants to stay here with the friendly people I’ve met.

It was difficult for me starting boarding at the age of 9 but Kirsty and Toine were good at comforting me as they were so used to it. I remember us in Larch and we were dancing on our beds, then Kirby walked in and saw Emma standing up on her bunk, she didn’t have much time to think up an excuse and she thought of the most dumb excuse, “I am itching my knee.” Nice one Emma!

Form 3 was (pause), well, interesting. We definitely were far from liked by the teachers and our excuse, ‘We have a big year’. Well done to whoever thought that one up! I remember constantly taking off my dorm’s duvets and throwing them out the window. As well as hanging people’s pants on the branches outside our windows.

Form 2 was great. I remember trying the new white V-necks which are really nice but just a touch see through. I was put into 2h which was quite difficult to keep up with because we have such smart people in our year. It was great to be introduced to some privileges. I remember in the summer term, Kirsty and I made the best dance to the soundtrack from Johnny English which included many summersaults and us feeling very dizzy. Also Weeza (old girl) trying to teach me to do a cart wheel (I

still can’t do one).Wow, Form 1 is about as action packed

as it can get after the dreadful C.E. But to know that everyone passed well into their chosen next school was very relieving. We had an unbeaten season in netball (sort of ), GO US! Filming was a very fun and interesting experience but I couldn’t hold the camera still for longer than about 5 seconds. Well I hope the film will turn out well and that lots of people will come to the Premiere. Once the girls were discussing the film in the kitchen with Tracy (film person) and we were allowed one grape but Kirsty and I didn’t know this therefore we were stuffing our faces with grapes. Once the bowl was finished we realised they were Mrs Thomson’s grapes so we sprinted to the main building and stuffed our jumpers with grapes from the dining room, but Christine caught us. Luckily she allowed us to take some and replace Mrs Thomson’s.

I now have great happy memories that I will remember and cherish. I have learnt so much from this school not just in lessons but in free time, for instance learning to get nice friends. Nobody will ever know how much fun I’ve had here and this is due to our understanding, kind teachers and most of all my friends.

Octavia Cobb (Occy)

The biggest dread of my life at Belhaven Hill School, was writing this leavers profile! I spent most of the I.T. lesson writing this, declaring how upsetting and sad it was, but that’s how it goes, and by the time you are all reading this, I will have been dissolved by my own tears! How sad am I?

But my time at Belhaven has been The Best! Everything I have done has been fun (if you’re not including the Thursday Run), enjoyable (if you’re not including standing in the pouring rain, marshalling the John Muir cross country run for what seems like hours!) and memorable (not including diving in the algae filled swimming pool, which I will choose to forget!).

I have made the best friends ever here, it will be so strange being split up; I will miss everyone so much! The teachers have been fantastic, friendly, funny and I will miss them all too. I will miss Mr Peek’s jokes, Miss Mac’s singing, Mr Harvey and Mr Barbour’s assemblies, Mr Townshend’s tales of Joe and all the teacher’s babies (!), bubbly

personalities and ways of making this school wonderful!

I was 9 when I started here. I remember being in Form 4, how small I was (though nothing much has changed there!), how scared I was and how much of a total geek I was! I can remember walking into Form 4 classroom with B, wearing glasses because we thought that they would make us look “intelligent”! Lame or what? (Probably what. Ed)

Form 4 camping trip was so much fun, apart from the boys gutting freshly caught mackerel (caught by us, I may add!) deliberately in front of the girls! That was disgusting! I remember all of us thinking that we were going to die because our tent was blowing away at 4 o’clock in the morning! We like to blame Mr Townshend for it though, of course it was all his fault for setting up our tent so carelessly! The amazing Annabel de Morgan slept through it all, while the rest of 4h girls were screaming outside, trying to prevent the tent blowing off the cliff and out to sea!

I don’t remember much about Form 3, though I know it was awesome. Being “Middles” in the school was quite tough for a big year like ours, and I seem to remember we were always getting in trouble!

Form 2 was great. We had Mr Harvey as a form teacher and that was wicked, we laughed so much in that year! I remember Mr Harvey taking us for a P.E. lesson at the beach. He pointed to the horizon and told us to run there and back, and typically, he got to stay in the minibus “to watch our progress”. I don’t think I will ever forgive him! I had a great dorm the first term in Form 2, because I was in the senior girls’ house with Phania and Grace who were in Form 1 at the time. We had so much fun and it was great going to bed later than my year with B, who was with me. I also spent my next term that year with Kirsty, sharing a bunk bed with me. We’d stay up for hours with Eliza, playing ridiculous games and laughing our heads off, more often than not, being sent out in the corridors and trying our hardest not to laugh! But that year was great, because we were seniors and we knew that next year, we would be “Top of the Pops” and would be in Form 1! It was good enough that we got to wear “White V-necks”; we thought we were so special! But we were really looking forward to toast, red stairs, more sweets, later bedtimes, serving tea, telling people off and being the bossy leaders at the top of the school. Life was going to be a rav (rav being a Form 1 word, meaning fun!)!

And Form 1 has been great! I managed to get into Queen Margaret’s with Anna, Eliza and Catherine and I am so glad I am going there with some good friends! All our preparation for Common Entrance

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was very dull and boring, but it was such a relief when we had finally finished, and we had all our exciting leavers’ activities ahead.

Outward bound was so much fun! We got so dirty and I drunk so much hot chocolate there! The big water fight was classic and I will forever have memories of Wisha getting completely drenched by Wilson! Then going on tour to York was a great experience, and relatively successful. But whether we lose or not, I always enjoy the sport here. It was great to have an unbeaten season in netball, we were such a great team, and I will miss prancing up the court with B, passing the ball to one another at whiz speed and baffling the opposing team…good times! Our hockey season was not as successful, but our rounders team has done well but we are dreading our last ever match at Belhaven, naturally against Ardvreck! (No need - it was cancelled! Ed)

And we still have fun things to go, like Superstars, with Mr O’s tin cans and Mr Gale’s dart board! And then we have all the leaving services, which I am dreading! And finally…we have the end of Belhaven.

I will miss all the big things that happen here, things like sports and school plays (Oliver was so much fun to do!), but I will also miss the tiny things that make Belhaven so enjoyable. Things like, going to Dunbar swimming pool on a Sunday, Saturday night sweets with Mr Harvey’s weekly lecture, telling the boys to tidy their pegs before they get sweets and go to their film! I will miss wrestling with Wisha in dorm, trying to nick her duvet, and playing cards after lights out. I will miss the boys cricket matches that all the Form 1 girls used to watch in huge sunglasses, trying to get a tan on the field, and cheering wildly whenever somebody got a run. I will miss practising for Fettes athletics day’s 4 by 100 team, with Wisha, Kirsty and Alex in the summer, and going swimming in the freezing school pool after a hot rounders session. And I will miss all the laughs and fun we’ve had here, with the teachers and with my friends.

I hope I never forget all the memories I have had over the years here, and that I will come back to visit here often! Belhaven is a great place and I have had a great time here!

Antonia Ward (Toine)I am the last

of three Wards to come to Belhaven. Ever since my oldest brother went I have wanted to go. I arrived when I was seven years old to

find I had been too eager and gone a

year too early. I stayed down in Form 5 and began a second year with a whole new set of friends. I have been with this Form for the last five years and can’t imagine my life without them. With them, I have laughed, cried, worked and played. My friendship has not stayed within the confines of my year as I have also developed friends in the years above and below.

Yes, there have been some downs to my life at Belhaven but mostly ups. I was never sporty or academic but I have still managed to fit into the friendly atmosphere here and I hope that everyone who comes here after me will have as great a time as I have had. When I leave, I fear that I will even miss the seven am music practice and maybe, just maybe, the Thursday Run.

During my time here I have seen many new developments to the school such as: Heating the school swimming pool, converting the squash courts to an art centre, at long last the completion of the new girls house, the four (soon to be five) babies who have played a big part in our school life, the leaving and arrival of many brilliant teaching staff and, last but certainly not least, the building of the new music department. I hope that when I leave the developments will carry on and that with every addition the school will become a better place.

Once I have left I hope to come back and visit the school again for the old girls match and other events that I wouldn’t want to miss.

The highlight of my last year at Belhaven has been the new film. It is great fun to make and everyone gets to be in it. I can’t wait till the Premiere in the summer holidays.

I just want to say a big thank you to all the teachers and pupils at Belhaven for making the last 6 years (almost half of my life) the most fantastic ever!

THANKS GUYS!

William Cuthbert (Cuthbert)

When I started in Form 4 I was very shy and didn’t know any one but having been through all the years I have made lots of good friends. When one night we all swapped beds in Dorm it went haywire.

All in all I have had a very good time at this school and it has encouraged me to do well in everything. I am not the best at sport but it has been really fun to

join in with all the activities.At the end of the summer term there is

an outing to Pease bay and it is probably one of the best things in the summer term. The dorm life is fun because you are always with your friends and at the end of each term there is dorm feast where every one brings as many sweets as possible and we have a huge feast of sweets and drinks. There are also a lot of funny incidents in the boarding house. I have tried to play musical instruments but I am not very musical so didn’t get very far on the pipes. I can’t wait to go to m next school but I will miss Belhaven.

Frederick de Klee. I started my first

day at Belhaven a term earlier than the rest of the class, along with Antonia Ward and Toby Moynan. Also there are fun memories of dorm feast with Hugh Carnegie and William G-C.

I have a strong memory of our first rugby game, we lost though, but Mr Burnett was a good coach and it was great fun. I can also remember in Form 5 there was a wasp on the window in Dorm 10, and Black tried to kill it by kicking the window but his foot went through and it smashed the window completely. Mr Baylis was not very happy.

Then Form 4, people like the Cobbs, Wilson, Bradley, Rettie and Mactaggart arrived. Miss Hendry (now Mrs Wood) was our form teacher. That year was great fun there were not many exams and there was a lot of mucking around. I remember the camping trip that year; Mrs Hendry took us to a field by the sea, Bird screamed and then jumped into a nettle bush and spent the night crying.

Eventually I became a senior and then had to start to work hard for C.E. In Form 1 there are lots of privileges and the sport is great, especially the rugby. And the teachers are good and helped everyone pass C.E.

My time at Belhaven has been quite good but I am desperate to leave and progress.

Emma MactaggartI had arrived in

Belhaven in Form 4. There have been many ups and downs, but a down has always been followed by an up. Those ups consist of getting into the school teams/dandies, plays and just having a laugh with friends. I would have to say the best times I have had is with my friends

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Last night revelryThis year the Leavers were privileged to go to a beach hut overlooking Tyninghame Beach for their last night of term. By all accounts it was a

successful night. Below are a few pictures to remind them of the time they spent there.

A night to remember!

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Friday

We arrived at the boat which apparently had gone round the world twice and OYT (Ocean Youth Trust) got this boat very recently so we were the first children on it. It was huge!!

We were given a tour of the boat. The beds were like hammocks and there

were two sides of the boat where we slept; port and starboard. In port were Antonia, Eliza, David, George, Ralph and Cameron. In starboard were Anna, Wisha, Moynan, Frederick, Cuthbert and Bird! Our ‘dorms’ were at the front of the back of the boat and the crew were at the front. The loos had a lever which you had to pump 80 times!

We went through the safety procedures and then we tried on the oilskins which were huge! Moynan attached himself to the boat and almost fell in!! Before we went to bed we had hot chocolate and introduced ourselves to the crew. They were called Emma, Dom, Nick and

Dougie (Dundonald) we played a game which was fun involving slapping hands on a table. Emma won.

We went to bed ready to get up early the next morning!

Saturday Ralph woke us all up and we started

to get dressed. The girls had nowhere to change so we changed in our sleeping bags! We left the port and sailed up the Clyde past the factories. We had a meal rota and me (Eliza) and Wisha were on breakfast. We made toast (without

a toaster), tea and prepared the cereal. We stopped the engine and put up the main sail and the jib. It was hard work and involved a lot of rope heaving. We started to plan where we were headed for.

Anna and Toine were on lunch duty. They made pies but it took ages to cook so Port had their lunch at 3 o clock!

We sailed past Arran and around Bute where we were going to have a barbecue and dock our boat for the night. We

Senior Sailors

Safety talk before embarkation. Yes they’re all smiling now but wait until the waves get a bit bigger!

You mean we’ll be spending the next two nights on that? Where’s the roof?

Heave-o me ’arties. How much more of this rope is there?

Just before setting sail and getting to know the yacht. Everybody very happy and excited. One

of the boys pretending he’s in the Navy and giving a salute - or is he just shielding his eyes?

Map of the route taken - a bird’s eye view

Anywhere to find some peace from those boys and all those chores. They’ll not see us here ...

How bracing - no more tilting please or we may just slide off here!

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arrived and were taught how to lower the anchor and then we spent ages blowing up the little dingy. It was finally finished but we couldn’t find the oar. Emma finally found it and a group of people set off to start the barbecue.

They were half way there when the

wind picked up and they were blown off course. It took another 10 minutes for them to complete the last hundred metres.

We had a great barbecue and played hide and seek in the bracken and Antonia found us some wild food!

The girls wanted to go swimming but it was ‘apparently’ too cold so on the way back to the boat we kept out feet in the water to prove we were able to stand the cold.

We all got hot chocolate and played cards while the crew talked about the next day.

We all got on really well and it was great fun!

We went to bed tired after a great day!

SundayWe didn’t wake up so early but couldn’t

get out of our comfy hammocks. It was very windy when we were sailing and we did a lot of tacking and jibing. The boys loved it because the boat would tip a lot and the sail was almost horizontal.

WE had a good lunch of all the leftovers which really filled us up. We docked at Largs and spent an hour cleaning the boat up. Port did the deck, and starboard did the cabins. We made the boat shiny and it looked brand new (not like twelve 13 year olds had spent three days in it!)

We all said Goodbye and took lots of good photos. We walked around the sailing centre and bought lots of sweets for the journey back.

All the boys fell asleep so they didn’t see Mr Harvey driving past us at 100mph

with a grin as he waved to us!It was a great weekend and we all had

such a good experience and will keep our certificates with us for ever! Thank you!

Eliza Plowden

Well, this is the life. A 30° list - as long as it doesn’t go the other way and dump us in the

sea. Nice warm day though.

What have you done?! I asked you to do a bolin, not a granny knot! Biscuit and water

rations for you!

When they told us we had to sleep on board we thought there might at least be a door to

the cabin!

So, this is the great outdoors, eh? Just great and the boys better not come along and wreck it! Now, who said

they had the food?

Ah, at last, supermarket to the rescue. Oh, blimey! What do you mean we’ve no can

opener?

“Come on guys, put your backs into it. That sail’s got to be spliced or something.”

What a trip. A huge thank you to all the crew. But the end had to come. Hope we’ve navigated to the right port for a lift home.

“What do you mean, we have to swab the decks?!”

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86

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87

Australia From View

This time last year the thought of spending 12 months on the

other side of the world was a very daunting prospect, albeit made better by the comforting words passed on by last year’s gappies. Despite the reassurances of Chloe and Rhianna, nothing could prepare us for what we were about to experience, especially on arriving at Belhaven Hill School and being overwhelmed with the task of remembering where everything was. Unfortunately, that was the least of our worries as 120 children arrived and at once expected us to know their names.

However, with the support and patience of all the staff members, especially Mrs Roddis, Miss McNeil and Mr Harvey, we were able to quickly settle

into the routine of a Belhaven Gappie (which seemed to involve quite a lot of laundry). Despite our many mistakes in this area, the most memorable one

occurred when we realised that the word for pants in Australia translated to trousers over here. Imagine the shock of Mrs Roddis when she discovered that, having asked us to give the boys clean ‘pants’ and socks, they all received clean ‘trousers’ and socks!

Even though we had settled into our routine, there were still some notable differences that we had to become accustomed, such as the freezing weather that numbed our hands and the fact that during the winter the sun had set by 5pm and didn’t rise until 9am the next morning. Of course, we also had to face the sincere promises of the staff and students that a haggis was a real animal and that there was such a thing as the annual ‘run of the haggis’.

Our first term got off to a great start with us being jolted into learning Scottish dances for the inaugural Reels’ Night; being able to watch the Scotland versus Wales game at Murrayfield; witnessing the first girl to win Mastermind and standing in the pouring rain handing out finishing numbers at the annual Cross Country Tournament. To top it all off, we experienced our very first Dorm Feast during which we were delighted with the Girls House Talent Show.

Arriving back after our Easter holidays we were thrilled to discover that the summer term was living up to our expectations, starting with the eventful Form 4 Trip to York with the ever so handsome and hilarious combination of Mr Wilson and Mr Gale. After a busy term that included the Highland Games at Johnstounburn; the Form 3 trip to the Falkirk Wheel; the performances of ‘Joseph’; Sports Day; the Form 5 trip to the Zoo and the ever eventful Pease Bay (where we were pushed into the ice cold water), we realised that the summer holidays were fast approaching and that we only had one more term at Belhaven.

Now that the year is quickly drawing to a close, the thought of saying goodbye to so many remarkable staff and fantastic children seems quite upsetting. After spending an amazing year of our lives

at Belhaven Hill School, we will never forget the many relationships we have formed and the amazing memories that will last a lifetime. Thank-you to everyone who has so kindly welcomed us into such an amazing community. Best wishes,

Ashleigh and Danni xoxo

Danni and Ashleigh

Having bought the shades they were going to wear them whatever the weather!

Not quite the Gold Coast but definitely the East Coast of Lothian! Even when blue they

manage a smile.

Very happy girls visiting the Heart of Scottish rugby - and as a bonus they’ve just seen Sean

Lamont being massaged in the changing rooms!

88

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“

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La Classe FrançaiseParis

Paris c’est fantastique!Arc de TriompheRépubliqueIle de la CitéSeine!

Sophie Gordon Cumming

Une énigme

Mon premier est dans ananas Et aussi dans banane

Mon deuxième est dans ParisEt aussi dans Tour Eiffel

Mon troisième est dans pain grilléEt aussi dans baguette

Mon quatrième est dans règleEt aussi dans stylo

Mon cinquième est dans tennisEt aussi dans netball

Mon tout est le symbole de Belhaven Hill

Qui suis-je ?Eliza Plowden and B Bradley

(Réponse : un aigle, bien sûr!)

Mon Professeur

Mon professeur s’appelle M. Rullière

Rullière c’est son nom.Un ou Une La ou LeL’ou les.Il ditElle ou IlRullière ditEn français!

Emily Gladstone

Mon Chien

Mon chienIl lèche ma main.Je déteste çaMais j’adore mon chien .Pourquoi ?

Mon chien,Il mange le pain.Il est très vilain !Mais j’adore mon chien.Pourquoi ?

Parce que Il est fidèleEt amusantJ’adore mon chien

Emily Gladstone

Les Pays

LibyeEgypteSoudan

PologneAlgérieYugoslavieSuisse

Lucy Coleman

À l’étrangerEn Guadeloupe

J’ai pris le bateauLa Guadeloupe c’était fantastique

J’ai acheté des souvenirsEt j’ai mangé à la crêperie

En ItalieJ’ai pris l’avionJ’ai visité Rome

Rome c’était génialJ’ai visité les magasins

C’était très bienMorgen Thomson

Poème des Alpes

Jeudi on est allé en FranceVendredi à ChamonixSamedi à la mer de GlaceC’était super bien, merci!Au barrage d’Emosson aussiJ’ai pris trois caillouxDimanche à Chamonix On a acheté des souvenirsLundi les gorges de TrientC’était le final

Dhileas Heywood

90

La SaladeQuand, je suis malade,Je mange de la salade !

Normalement je déteste la salade,Mais quand je suis malade,

J’adore la salade.Je me demande pourquoi ?

Emily Gladstone

Quand?Je regarde la télé

De temps en tempsJe vais à la pêche

SouventMon frère joue au foot

Tous les joursMa mère fait de la natation

Une fois par semaineMon père fait du judo

Trois fois par moisMa soeur joue du piano le mercredi

Mon grand-père fait de la voile Une fois par an

AnimauxLa souris grise

Est dans ma chemise Le chat blanc

Regarde MamanLe chien rouxEst tout fou!

Rachel Gladstone

La marche des animaux

Il y a un chien Il y a une tortueIl n’y a pas de hamster

Il y a un chat Il y a une sourisIl n’y a pas de hamster

Il y a un chevalIl y a une perruche Il n’y a pas de hamster

Il y a un lapinIl y a une grenouilleIl n’y a pas de hamster

La Souris

La souris est petiteLa souris est calmeElle traverse le plancher en courant Mon chat la poursuit toujoursLundi on l’a attrapéeMon chat déteste les souris

Beth Fletcher

Poème bête!

Je Pète le feuJe suis heureux!

Je vais aux toilettesJe fais la cueillette!

Quelle heure est-il?C’est débile!

Connie Begg&

Ella Coleman

PoèmeJe fais du ski en hiver

Je fais du vélo en été

Je regarde la télé toute l’année!

Je joue au golf au printemps

Je joue au rugby en automne

Je regarde la télé toute l’année!

Cameron Hardie

Ma grand-mèreMa grand-mère a eu cent ans hierMais elle a demandé à mon père“C’est quand mon anniversaire?”

Maintenant elle demande à ma mèreElle dit: “Où est ma salade

Je dois manger ou je vais être maladeMa mère dit “j’adore mon père

Mais parfois je m’interroge sur ma mère…” Leonora Campbell

91

Sporting Results 2006 - 2007

1st XV Boys Played Won Drawn Lost For Against 9 5 1 3 207 65

Cargilfield (H) won 48 - 7Loretto (H) won 53 - 0Ardvreck (A) lost 17 - 19Mowden Hall (H) won 14 - 0Ardvreck (H) drawn 10 - 10Ardvreck 7s Runners-upLoretto 7s Semi-finalistsSt. Peters, Devon (H) won 29 - 0Merchiston (A) won 31 - 0Craigclowan (A) lost 0 - 19

Senior rugbySt. Mary’s (A) lost 5 - 10 2nd XII Boys

Played Won Drawn Lost For Against 5 5 0 0 165 34

Cargilfield (H) won 56 - 0Loretto (H) won 20 - 10Merchiston (H) won 26 - 12Ardvreck (H) won 29 - 12Fettes (H) won 34 - 0

Under 11 XIII Boys Played Won Drawn Lost For Against 9 3 1 5 152 169

Fettes (H) won 25 - 15Ardvreck (A) lost 12 - 17Loretto (H) won 36 - 22Clifton Hall (10s) (H) cancelled Craigclowan (A) drawn 7 - 7Fettes (A) lost 5 - 15Cargilfield (H) lost 5 - 31Merchiston (10s) (A) lost 20 - 25Edinburgh Academy (H) lost 5 - 37St. Mary’s (10s) (H) won 37 - 0

Under 9 Played Won Drawn Lost For Against 10 0 2 8 125 305

Cargilfield (A) lost 10 - 40Loretto (A) drawn 25 - 25Clifton Hall (A) lost 20 - 25Fettes (H) drawn 15 - 15Ardvreck (H) lost 10 - 30Craigclowan (8s) (A) lost 0 - 50Loretto (H) lost 0 - 20Fettes (H) lost 10 - 25Cargilfield (H) lost 0 - 40St. Mary’s (H) lost 15 - 20

1st GirlsPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 5 5 0 0 108 45

Loretto (H) won 33 - 0Kilgraston (H) won 20 - 16Loretto Netball Tournament semi-finalistsMowden Hall (H) won 20 - 11Ardvreck (H) won 18 - 6St. Mary’s (A) won 17 - 12

Under 11 GirlsPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 5 3 1 1 34 30

Cargilfield (A) won 12 - 8Kilgraston (H) won 7 - 3St. Mary’s (A) drawn 10 - 10Mowden Hall (H) lost 5 - 9Ardvreck (H) won

2nd / Under 12 GirlsPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 5 3 2 0 53 48

Cargilfield (A) won 15 - 12Loretto (H) won 9 - 8Kilgraston (H) drawn 11 - 11Loretto (A) won 9 - 8Ardvreck (H) drawn 9 - 9

Netball

Rugby

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Under 9sPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 7 2 0 4 10 19

Cargilfield ‘A’ (A) lost 1 - 5Cargilfield ‘B’ (A) lost 0 - 2Loretto ‘A’ (A) won 4 - 1Loretto ‘B’ (A) lost 1 - 4Fettes (A) won 3 - 2Cargilfield (A) lost 0 - 5

1st GirlsPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 3 0 0 3 3 10

St. Mary’s (A) lost 1 - 5Kilgraston (A) lost 1 - 2Ardvreck (A) lost 1 - 3

1st XI BoysPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 6 3 1 2 9 8

Loretto (A) Won 2 - 1Ardvreck (H) Won 4 - 2Craigclowan (A) Lost 0 - 2Strathallan (H) Lost 1 - 2Fettes (H) Draw 1 - 1Cargilfield (H) Won 1 - 0

Strathallan 6-a-side Tournament Winners

2nd XI BoysPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 3 2 1 0 11 6

Strathallan (A) Won 3 - 1Craigclowan (A) Won 0 - 2Fettes (H) Drawn 3 - 3

Under 11 XI BoysPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 5 2 1 2 11 6

Loretto (H) won 2 - 1Ardvreck (A) lost 0 - 1Craigclowan (A) won 2 - 0Fettes (A) drawn 1 - 1Cargilfield (A) lost 1 - 8

In Craigclowan Tournament won all matches and ended up in second place

Hockey

Rounders

1st TeamPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 6 3 0 3 74 61½ Belhaven OppositionFettes (A) won 6 ½ 5Craigclowan (A) won 6 ½ 1St. Mary’s (H) won 17 ½ 8 ½ Terrington (A) won 13 10Bramcote (A) lost 4 ½ 13Ardvreck cancelledKilgraston Tournament cancelled

Under 11 TeamPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 4 3 0 1 48 30½ Belhaven OppositionLoretto (A) won 13 3St. Mary’s (H) won 12 11½Fettes (A) cancelledCraigclowan (A) lost 9 13Aberlour (A) won 14 3

Under 10sSt. Mary’s (A) won Loretto (A) won Cargilfield (A) lostSt. Mary’s (A) won

Under 12 TeamPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 2 2 0 0 33 16½ Belhaven OppositionLoretto (A) won 17 8Loretto (A) won 16 8½Ardvreck cancelled

Under 12 GirlsPlayed Won Drawn Lost For Against 4 1 1 2 9 15

Cargilfield (A) lost 2 - 7Loretto (H) lost 1 - 2Ardvreck (A) lost 1 - 3Loretto (A) won 4 - 3

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Netball

1st Team

With another season, there comes another group of talented girls

at the top of the school. With the current Form One’s benefiting from training with the great group of netballers last year, they were keen to improve upon their skills and were soon shaping up to be a good team.

Having a few weeks into term before playing their first match, the girls got used to playing in their positions. The two shooters, Patricia Goal Attack and Emma Goal Shooter, were perfecting

their shots from many places in the circle. Alex was a sure Goal Defence, likewise Octavia as Centre. Catherine and Arabella made excellent wings with their speed around the court and Kirsty’s height was advantageous as Goal Keeper. With the team in place the team were ready to play their first match against Kilgraston.

The girls had the advantage of this match being at home and so were warmed up and ready to go as Kilgraston arrived. Patricia won the toss and Octavia was ready to take the first centre. With the ball only touching a few hands it was soon in the net and

there were many more goals to follow. It wasn’t an easy match, though, and by half time Kilgraston had warmed up and were catching up on the score. Alex was working so hard marking a very good Goal Attack and between herself and Kirsty they managed to stop Kilgraston from catching up and Belhaven had won their first match.

Their second match of the term against Loretto was much easier and the girls clearly dominated the court. Some great shooting and defending kept the Belhaven team in possession for the whole game. A slight change around for the last quarter allowed the Loretto

1st XI Belhaven OppositionCraigclowan (H) lost by 56 runs 80 all out 136 for 8 Ed. Academy (A) lost by 4 wkts 165 for 5 169 for 6Fettes (H) won by 7 wkts 78 for 3 75 all outLoretto (A) lost by 100 runs 49 all out 149 for 9Merchiston (H) lost by 10 runs 90 all out 99 all outStrathallan Rain cancelled playArdvreck (H) lost by 2 wkts 61 all out 62 for 8Clifton SA (H) lost by 94 runs 50 all out 134 for 8Bramcote (A) drawn 109 for 4 146 for 4Terrington (A) won by 6 wkts 99 for 5 96 all out

2nd XI Belhaven OppositionStrathallan (H) Won by 39 runs 140 for 4 81 for 9Ed. Academy (H) Lost by 44 runs 140 for 6 184 for 7Fettes (A) Won by 5 wkts 62 for 5 61 all outCraigclowan (H) Won by 25 runs 124 for 9 109 for 8Merchiston (A) Won by 60 runs 184 for 5 124 all outArdvreck (H) Won by 46 runs 132 for 6 86 all outMowden Hall (H) Rain cancelled play

Under 11 XI Belhaven OppositionLoretto (H) Won by 102 runs 148 for 7 d 46 all outCraigclowan (A) Lost by 1 wicket 80 all out 83 for 9Cargilfield (H) Lost by 81 runs 39 all out 120 all outMerchiston (H) Won by 85 runs 120 for 9 d 35 all outEd. Academy (H) Won by 117 runs 184 for 1 d 67 all outArdvreck (25o) (A) Lost by 44 runs 83 for 8 127 for 4Fettes (H) Won by 142 runs 178 for 4 d 36 all out

Under 10s Belhaven OppositionSt. Mary’s (H) won by 44 runs 165 74Mechiston (H) won by 91 runs 169 125

Cricket

94

girls a little more of a chance but the Belhaven team excelled themselves playing different positions!

On a bright Sunday morning the girls played some of their best netball at the Loretto Tournament. Playing Kilgraston, Loretto, Craigclowan and the Belhaven ‘B’ team(!) saw some fantastic play and the girls comfortably won the four matches. Their skills were really put to the test as their fifth match was against St. John’s. This was a very close match and one which could have ended with either school winning – unfortunately St. John’s took the lead by only 2 goals. After a large lunch, the girls were to play Kilgraston again in the semi-final. Being the third time they played them in the space of two weeks the girls knew that Kilgraston would be wanting to win. A close match throughout saw Kilgraston win by only a few goals.

A fixture against Mowden Hall was next on their list and a great match from both teams saw the girls work hard to dominate the court and keep possession off the ball. There was no stopping the shooters in this match and their aim for the goal seems to get better and better. The pace of the game was incredibly fast and the girls were commended on their play. This was a super match to umpire and watch and the ‘new back line pass’ worked like a dream!

With half term over the focus was now on the Dandylions v WOSPS matches. It was no surprise at the trials when it was voted unanimously that all 7 of the Belhaven team should represent the Dandy’s. Patricia, Emma, Kirsty, Alex and Octavia were selected for the A team and Arabella and Catherine for the B Team. The match was played at Fettes and despite losing both matches, Arabella and Catherine played exceptionally well for the B’s, some of the best I think I’ve seen. The A’s took a while to warm up but some superb shooting kept the scores close. It was a good experience for the girls and the highlight as always are the ‘hoodies’!

With fewer matches this term, the girls have also played some hockey as a warm up ready for next term, matches

against a touring team, St. Peter’s, and the Fettes Hockey Tournament. During both matches the girls improved and held their own not allowing the opposition to score too many goals. Antonia proved why it was important to wear a mouth

guard and Catherine made a super goal keeper.

Having been a while since the last netball match, Ardvreck were next to play us. The Belhaven side were clearly the dominant team, using their backline pass to their advantage and some short snappy passes to gain possession. Great ball skills from everyone on the court allowed us to stay ahead every quarter and win the game against Ardvreck– something Belhaven haven’t done since winning the Loretto and Adrvreck netball tournament finals against them in 2003!

On a cold yet sunny afternoon at the end of term, the girls travelled down to Melrose to take on St. Mary’s. Having slept for most of the journey, the girls soon woke and were ready to play. Finding the opposition more challenging than expected, the girls had to work hard and make sure they passed the ball to the right players. On a slippery surface, the two teams were neck and neck until we finally broke away to win the match by 5 goals.

In the middle of the hockey term,

the girls turned their skills back to their Netball and with one practice they prepared to play Fettes. A great match against them allowed the girls to carry on their fine form to win the game. Sedburgh school were also playing at Fettes and so the team played them too. A very close match between the

two schools saw Sedburgh win by 2 goals.

The final match of the season took place on a

lovely sunny afternoon at Belhaven against Craigclowan. The girls knew they had a lot resting on this match. They took to the court and after a very tense 40 mins playing time, with some more demanding play the

girls led the team to their unbeaten victory.

Huge cheers all round from girls and spectators

and the coach! Well done girls

– you are a super team and deserved to win every one of these matches. All of you have improved 100% over the term and have been great fun to coach. You have remained unbeaten in

Scotland this year – this has not been achieved since the team in 2003. You now have a picture in the front hall to prove it! I’m really proud of you all.

The Team:Patricia Walker - GA (Captain,

Colours, Dandy’s A team)Emma Mactaggart - GS (Colours,

Dandy’s A team)Arabella Bradley - WA (Colours,

Dandy’s B Team)Octavia Cobb - C (Colours, Dandy’s

A Team)Catherine Hocknell - WD (Colours,

Dandy’s B Team)Alex Riley - GD (Colours, Dandy’s A

Team)Kirsty Landale - GK (Colours,

Dandy’s A Team)Eliza Plowden - Reserve GK

(colours)Anna Will - loyal supporterAntonia Ward - loyal supporter

Katie Gale

Fun netballLeaning: Kirsty Landale : Alex Riley : Eliza Plowden : Emma MactaggartSitting: Catherine Hocknell : Patricia Walker : Octavia Cobb : Arabella Bradley

95

2nd / Under 12 Team

The 2nd’s/U12 have gone from strength to strength this term

and have improved their netball tremendously. With some very talented members of Form 2 to make up the core of the team, they have succeeded in winning their matches this term.

Lucy (C), Ella (GA), Squeaky (GS), Emily (GD) and Beth (various positions), joined with many other members of Forms 1 and 2, have enjoyed many matches this term and have worked well as a team improving upon their skills in every match. They will certainly be a team to watch next year!

Their first match against Cargilfield saw the girls begin to work well as a team. A quick change around in positions at half time allowed Ella and Leonora to work well together in the ‘D’ and score the important goals to allow us to win the game. Lucy made an excellent centre and new exactly where Ella was going to be to pass the ball to. (must be a twin thing!)

Their next match of the term was against Loretto at home. Thinking it

would be an easy match, the girls took a while to settle into the game. The defence Emily and Claire had to work hard to keep the ball away from the goal whilst other members of the team, had to ensure that they were in a space ready to receive the ball. Sophie and Connie made good ‘Wings’ and Victoria and Beth proved to be great all round players.

With two victories behind them they brushed up on their skills ready to play Kilgraston. Again, another tight match and the girls had to keep their cool and not become too giggly to become distracted from the game. With each school scoring from their centre pass, the game ended in a draw.

After half term, the girls played Loretto again but this time the team – an U12 B team - included girls that had not played a fixture yet and a few U11 members. Rachel has gone from strength to strength improving on her ball skills all the time, Morgen has tried hard to improve her shooting, Claire was a good all round player and Dhileas when on games was a good wing. The U11 team members were an asset to the team and will certainly have the makings of a good U12 team next year. A close match

for both teams but the Belhaven girls sneaked an extra goal to win the match.

The last match of the term was important for them as they were keen to remain unbeaten. Against some older girls from Ardvreck, Anna led the way as captain with her merry band of Form 2 girls. With an early goal from Ardvreck, Ella and Squeaky soon had an eye for the goal and started the scores rolling. Leading each quarter the girls deserved a win and I think if they had held themselves together and not been distracted by the ‘Mexican waves’ behind the goal posts, they may have indeed won the game. Never mind, the girls managed a draw and the senior teams managed one and a half victories over Ardvreck.

They have been a great set of girls to coach – full of enthusiasm and keen to improve upon their skills. They have been responsive to new skills and drills, even if one or two of them try to cheat whilst doing them.

Thank you girls for another successful season and thank you to Miss Cowan who has been a super help on court, coaching the girls with me and stepping into umpire matches when both teams were playing at once.

Under 11 Netball

The Under 11 team did not take long to realise that their new

coach was competitive. Their new coach did not take long to realise that her new team was competitive. Perfect match. With only thirteen girls they were able to share a position and be able to play half a match for nearly all the games.

It became clear very quickly that Daisy Greville Williams was our main shooter. Daisy saved us in a few matches from defeat by scoring in the dying seconds from the edge of the circle. Daisy also ended the season as highest scorer and winning player of the season. She was ably assisted by Grace Plowden, Emily Stewart and Sophie Robertson. All three kept the goals ticking over and held

their space in the circle waiting for the looping pass. However, Sophie, Grace, Emily and Daisy were guilty a few times of being late for showers as they did not want to leave the court until they had scored three goals in a row from the edge of the circle. It was worth it.

Turning to the other end of the court we had the all-important defensive team who kept the opposition’s goals to a minimum. Eritrea Willoughby was the driving force behind them as she intercepted and defended many attacking passes. She was supported by Lydia McCallum, Francesca Younger and Claudia Black who all realised the importance of taking the backline pass quickly and then getting into a space. Vanessa Riley, Katya Thomson and Honor Douglas Miller provided an important link between attack and defence.

Vanessa wasted no time in showing her excellent sporting abilities, while Katya and Honor worked hard at finding a space and improving their footwork (as well as tying their hair back). Lydia Dalrymple and Iona Ralph led the team from the centre. Lydia’s determination to win the ball was apparent right from the start and a games session never went by without Lydia tumbling to the floor after an impressive interception. Iona also proved very useful in the centre and by the end of the season she had made the most progress out of the team.

There was only one down point in the season, but as it included five players in a team, rotation of positions, defending using no arms, a smaller ball and an English school, we do not need to mention it!

Tory Hughes

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Dandylions 2006 -2007

This year 8 talented girls from Forms 1 and 2 have represented Belhaven for the Dandylions. With such a talented Netball team, all 7 girls were nominated for the two teams, whilst 4 girls were chosen for the Hockey and 6 for

the rounders teams. The following pictures show the girls chosen for the different teams.

Netball - Patricia, Octavia, Arabella, Emma, Catherine, Kirsty, Alex Hockey - Octavia, Catherine, Emma and Alex, Rounders - Octavia, Alex, Emma, Patricia, Catherine, Lucy

Dandylions Netball

Dandylions Hockey

Dandylions Rounders

97

Faced with a bunch of rag tags and bobtails, the coaches this season

were scratching their heads as to what to do with them. Varying weights and sizes made things interesting for a start. Heights ranging from 3’ 8¼” to 6’ 2¾” made the coaching of tackling rather difficult, but interesting (not for the little guy. Ed).

However, the coaches decided that all this didn’t matter because the seconds are traditionally canon fodder for the fantastic firsts and they would eventually learn the game the hard way and slowly turn into ‘men of iron’. (The only iron they got was in their orange ‘girders’ drink at the end of season. Ed)

There is no point in going into a write-up of all the matches in this report - suffice to say that the opposition generally were no match for this awesome team and anyway the match reports have been circulated around the world via the web site.

So what makes a second team so great? The Head Coach, in a moment of lucid candour mixed with a certain amount of modesty, said that only one thing could make that happen - the training sessions, meticulously planned for months before the season, and the man behind those sessions. As on most days the fabulous firsts are whisked off to the best part of the pitch for their training, leaving the muddy grass-challenged bit for the seconds, the only man left to look after the remaining players was ‘five-foot-high’ Peeky. Obviously just the person to instill confidence in the smaller player, being vertically challenged himself.

Sturdy fellows that they are, they became used to practising with a deflated ball, but with inflated spirit. Captain Huge Rettie led by example and was always on the pitch first, shivering in his lycras and wearing special ‘sticky’ gloves that sometimes worked.

Keenness was the watchword and, boy, were this lot keen? You betcha! Every session they wanted to knock seven bells out of each other and the cry would always go up, “Is it full contact, coach?” Obviously ... It’s rugby, guys!

They all learnt how to pass and catch the ball and, as they all seemed to have sticky fingers, developing this skill was pretty easy. What was a bit more difficult was getting them to support the player carrying the ball. A few manic drills during which a selected player was sent running around the field with the rest of the squad chasing him, soon got them used to following the ball carrier

- no problem. It also gave the ball carrier practice in running like the wind to preserve his body from vicious tackles and being at the bottom of a ruck!

The hardest thing for a rugby player to do is tackle and it was in this area that the 2nds had a few problems. How do you get mini Mungo and Jamie to tackle lanky Cuthie? With difficulty! Any form of height aid is illegal in rugby, so the 15” studs had to be binned and stilts just looked stupid. Another tactic had to be employed and the little coach had just the idea - go for the ankles. Now there was no stopping them and all players regularly had to go the Matron’s department complaining of sore heels - now they know what sheep feel like!

Training sessions have never been so much fun, especially when, with half an hour to go before showers, the Head Coach whistled the 2nd squad forward to become canon fodder for the 1st Team. Now this is where the fun started - and sometimes ended as well. But it all honed their skills (of self-preservation? Ed) and was definitely where their strength and knowledge came from so that the opposition they met just didn’t seem as bad as they first thought.

Enough of how the 2nd squad gets things done. More important is the player and it is my great pleasure to introduce each one of those stalwarts who have survived the season’s training and matches to become the first ever Belhaven Rugby Second Team to remain undefeated. I salute you all. (How much did you get bunged for this? Ed)

The CharactersHugh Rettie - captain and Scrum

HalfThe hard man of the team - always

there (or thereabouts) urging his team onwards, digging the ball out of rucks and mauls to feed his hungry back division. This has been his second season and so he is now classed as a veteran. He became so good that the 1st Team required his services for their final game - and he didn’t disappoint. Most famous for his converting of tries in that he either got the kick or fell over backwards. Love the gloves, though ...

James Wilson - multi-positional three quarter

Most noticeable by his gum shield, which was often seen protruding from his mouth - most likely to put the

opposition off as he was about to tackle them. Could play anywhere in the three quarters, and often did, sometimes to the consternation of the rightful owner of that position. Great hands allowed James to take the ball from any height and he could run swiftly - especially when the hulking opposition was after him.

Adam Baynes - Winger, officially, but didn’t mind where he went as long as it wasn’t the scrum

Glove-wearer supremo who would shiver away on the wing desperate that someone wouldn’t would pass the ball to him. Had great speed but lacked that killer instinct to crash through the opposition, preferring to dance his way around. Did so fairly successfully and became a good tackler later in the season.

George Ellis-Hancock - Scrum, anywhere in the scrum, just let me get at them ...

Played hookie hooker and loved it. Non-stop chatterer, who had the opposition in stitches, so getting the ball back at scrums was easy! Sometimes his own team were falling about, which made for an interesting period of play! Much stronger than he looks and was often seen bulldozing his way through the opposition pack - mostly with the ball in hand, and scored a memorable try by his now-famous ‘break-away’ try against Fettes. He never stops telling us all! (Quite right too. Ed)

Max Barnes - Centre or wing or stand off or wherever there’s a game of rugby

Keen as mustard and just as sharp. Cuts through the opposition and has a great side-step (the little coach has been ‘done’ by him many times!) and a brilliant pair of hands that the ball seems magically to stick to. This player also has vision (pretty important for this game I would have thought! Ed) and will no doubt be in an important role next season. (For the packed lunches? Ed)

Rafe Seymour - utility forward but was shoved into the second row

Lots of arm movements and rushing about have got him fit for the game. He’s good in the loose and dives around whenever there’s a ruck or maul near him. Occasionally tackled like a whirlwind but usually went for the ‘cuddle’ tackle and started wrestling for the ball. Always

Seasoned Seconds have Season’s Success Second to none

Rugby

98

looked a bit startled when the whistle blew - as if it were his fault!

James Gladstone - another utility belt forward but was assigned the second row slot.

What a cheery fellow to have in the side - always grinning and showed strength in the set scrums. Handling improved and he was always to be seen grinning away whilst either tackling or being tackled. Notorious for his head to be seen popping up out of mauls looking rather puzzled but amused. What a fun game, eh?

John MacAulay - definitely a scrum player; on his own admission he’s not fast enough for the backs!

What a team member - always out there in whatever weather prepared to practise. Hands became good later on and his work-rate in the loose was phenomenal. So much so that the Head Coach decided he had to go for a trial in the 1sts. Did well enough to get a seat on their bench and play in a few games. Traitor!

Geordie Gladwin - got to be a forward, and was

Getting to us late in the season he had a lot to learn but when he became used to the oddities of 2nd Team rugby he came on strong. Renowned for his ‘bull runs’ which occurred after being needled too long. They were an awesome sight and he would mow down at least three of

the opposition before grinding to a halt. Little Coach knows as he’s been on the receiving end! Oooomphh!!

Alex Swanson - scrum player who prefers to play centre, but we needed mass in the scrum and he’s got plenty (this is not PC. Ed) of talent (better. Ed)

Great handling ability and can generate some pace. His wide shoulders were of benefit in set pieces and rucks because he used them in a battering ram way very effectively. Not much was able to stop his progress towards the opposition’s try line. Cheery fellow to have in the team. This season was his 2nd Team Swanson Swan song.

Finn Curry - Front man and prop and proud of it.

Hot stuff (this has been done to death. Spike it. Ed) in the scrum in which he could be seen desperately fighting for the ball. Great tactic was to talk the opposition into submission and try to explain the logic of everything. Handled the ball well and was very keen to nurture it to full maturity by keeping it from everyone else. Rumbled around the pitch and did what had to be done very well.

Jamie Kelly - Centre or wing; anywhere where he could run like the wind.

Great little fella who tackled well, was brave and fair flew down the pitch. Hands like glue so could take the ball from any height, which wasn’t very high (that’s not

fair. Ed) Great team member who was willing to do anything for the team and his laughter was so infectious even the opposition fell about - wonderful tactic that was exploited to the full.

Mungo Kilgour - winger. That’s it, nowhere else, please - I’m very happy stuck out here

What a gutsy player who tackled everything and anything within 5m - even known to have a go at the rugby post guards when nothing else was around! Great hands and has begun to develop the side step to good effect. Little speed merchant who, when in top gear, was just a blond blur!

Will Cuthbert - couldn’t be anywhere but Number 8 because he wouldn’t fit in anywhere else!

What stature was shown by him on the pitch (well, what? Ed). Catching the ball thrown all too often at normal height for everyone else was terribly difficult for Will as it was down by his knees. Therefore not much was caught. When the ball was at the correct height for him he was off like a gazelle and he could fly. (mixed simile. Please check. Sub Ed.) Scored twice, though one was disallowed, the legitimate one as a result of his huge stretch, so even though his body was 10 ft from the line, his arms got there no problem. Don’t think he’s reached his full height in the game yet - so Fettes will get a nice surprise!

Little Coach

99

2nd XII v Fettes - Some Action Shots by our resident Photographer, Elliot Graves

Ha ha! Noway you can

get him down!

Here, youhave the ball whileI brush aside this

ankle grabber

Oh, no. Lookout ... It’s the MightyMidget stuck to your

foot

Ooops! I wassupposed to get this overthe bar, not through Miss

McNeil’s window!

I’m turningright, OK?

Hurry up forPete’s sake. This ballis getting heavier by

the second

Willsomebody

catch me before Ihit the ground

and injuremyself??

I - I say. Would youmind awf’ly if the

ball might possibly be passedto someone? It’s getting

jolly cold waiting,what?

No wonderno-one passes me the

ball - me 'ands 'avegorn missin’

I can’t help it. Mybottom half wants to go straighton - my top half always wants

to go the opposite way

How the long-legged Cuthie escapes his tackler. (Reminder to the clothingdepartment - this boy needs longer shorts and socks!)

How to be a successful team - play without the opposition

1.6 m 2.8 m

0.00 sec 0.02 sec 0.05 sec

Thank goodnessthere’s some warmth

somewhere on the pitch

What sort ofpass was that,

then?

Knees up. 1, 2, 3.Got to rescue the

backs again!

Put your left legin, your right leg out.

It’s the Hokey Cokey ....

Droppedagain. Story of

my life..

Levitate.Levitate - I

command you, ohball, to obey

100

Under 9s

What goes through the mind of an eight (or in some cases seven) year

old boy as he prepares for his first game of rugby and his first match at a new school. ‘How many tries will I score?’ perhaps, or ‘How many will we win by?’ for the more team-orientated. Some may be focused primarily on remembering their boots and gum-guards, admittedly, or on their first match tea. Another possibility however, and a far less common one, was presented by one nameless member of the under nine team this season.

‘Sir’, came a voice from the back of the bus, ‘What should our team song be?’ At the time, naturally, it seemed an unusual question to field, but now that considerable dust has fallen on the season I would like to offer some suggestions.

For Angus Harley, the song might be ‘Don’t stop me now’, with his powerful running and controlled but aggressive forward play which earned him the captaincy outright in the second half of the season, and the player of the year award. He and Will Plowden were the most combative and perhaps the

most skilful members of the team, and Will ‘Flashdance’ Plowden’s jinking runs were the undoing of many an opposition centre. Both are also good tacklers, always a real asset at this level.

Archie Douglas Miller and William Dirkin (‘When the going gets tough the tough get going’) became increasingly confident as forwards as the season progressed and they gradually became more comfortable with the physical side of the game. Both took great strides forward and began to realise that they were a match physically for almost anyone they met.

William Ellis-Hancock ran ‘like a bat out of hell’ allowing nothing to stand in his way and, head down, charged at anyone and anything. He was a fierce tackler when he got going, and made a great many runs from the back of the scrum.

Christian ‘Live and Let Die’ Thomson was mighty in the three quarters, proving that ‘when you gotta job to do, you gotta do it well.’ He learned better than anyone else the importance of running straight and keeping the ball under control in the tackle, and fully deserved the award for most improved player over the course of the season.

Wills Younger was another who became

more and more confident as the season progressed. His crowning moment came late on in the term (‘Save the best for last’) when, in the practice session before the final match he flattened a member of form four with one of the most ferocious tackles seen on the Belhaven under nine rugby pitch this season.

Euan Cunningham-Jardine similarly found the physical side of the game unnatural to begin with, but is a good support player, running on the shoulder of the person with the ball and as he too became more familiar with the physical nature of rugby he was more willing to throw himself around.

Geordie ‘Flying without wings’ Younger proved himself an excellent three-quarter (and when needed a more than capable forward). He is quick across the ground, and runs not only with determination but also a real ability to beat people. Geordie was top try scorer for the season by a distance.

This was a lean season in terms of results, perhaps, but with the end of the season came the realisation for all that a lot had been learned, not least that playing in a team could be rewarding, exciting, nerve-jangling and frustrating all rolled into one.

MR

1st XV Rugby 2006

Peeky, I and the vast majority of the group looked like Lilliputians

standing alongside a couple of our 1st XV squad at the beginning of this season. It was clear that, for once, Belhaven Hill were going to have a pack of forwards that would visibly intimidate their opposition. We also

knew we would have a formidable backline, so we might have been forgiven for predicting great success with this team.

Things became all the more exciting as we opened our season with two wins and a draw against Cundall Manor, Catterall Hall and Craigclowan at the Merchiston Rugby Festival mid September.

We had two very pleasing and convincing home wins against Cargilfield and Loretto in the bag by the end of the month and looked ready for our first away match against Ardvreck.

As Angus Tulloch vouched for in his Sports’ Day address, I tend to let referees get on with their job and offer very little advice unless absolutely compelled to do so! This fantastic match was our first

Back Row: Max Barnes : John MacAulay : Toby Moynan : Paddy Arbuthnott : Elliot Graves : Joel Holland Jenkins : Henry Dobson : Frederick de Klee : Alexander Swanson : David Dalrymple : George Ellis Hancock

Front Row: Cameron Hardie : James Cochrane : Finn Curry : Christopher Ralph : Harry Cobb : Geordie Tulloch (c) : Fergus Black : Alexander Millar : Alasdair Bird : James Wilson : Mungo Kilgour

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real challenge and we did not look up to the task when conceding a silly try after 5 minutes. The magnificent duo of Harry Cobb and Geordie Tulloch rallied the troops and one of our giants, Dobbo, was awoken from his slumber. We fought our way back into the game which ebbed and flowed like a heavy weight boxing match between two real contenders.

Having scored and not converted to remain two points adrift with 30 seconds to go, the ever committed Geordie caught the restart and dutifully booted the ball out of play! “Why did you do that?”, I asked in a rather calm but confused tone. “Because the ref. said it was 19 – 19 and we were happy to take a draw,” Geordie replied, respectfully. My words of advice before the kick off “never argue with the ref.” kept flashing in to my mind as some sort of excuse, but the truth was we had lost 19 – 17 and mainly because we started so badly.

Mowden Hall came to Belhaven

Hill and though it could be argued we played less attractive rugby than them, we won the match 14 - 0, largely due to Joell’s switch to inside centre in an attempt to dissuade their elusive centre from accelerating into areas where he might come across our giant number 2. It worked but, despite Harry Cobb, Alasdair Bird, and Frederick de Klee, amongst others working their socks off in the forwards, we did not get enough ball to play with in the backs.

We then played Ardvreck at home and could have been forgiven for thinking we might lose after our stand off, Geordie, left the field with a knock after 10 minutes. Because Geordie went

off a few of the other backs in the side had it all to do. Alexander Millar, a very able handler and tackler, played a blinder at 10 and he was ably supported in defensive duties by Cameron, Paddy, James and Toby. This game also saw the emergence of Fergus Black and Henry Dobson as influential figures in the outcome of games as much as Harry and Geordie.

St. Peter’s came up all the way from Devon to sample our hospitality and we duly obliged by thumping them 29 - 0. We also gave them a traditional bagpipe send off as we “sent them homeward tae think again”!

We then played a Merchiston side who were efficient with the ball in hand but by now our pack was working as a cohesive and combative unit. Christopher Ralph and Elliot Graves were joining rucks with pace and all the forwards had developed super “smuggling” skills. We defeated a Merchiston side through committed forward effort but stuttered when running the ball in the backs. Our two giants scored four of our five tries.

At this point in the term the squad began to look tired. We had performed in two energy-sapping sevens tournaments commendably with two teams in each, (Semi-finalists at Loretto: Runners up at Ardvreck, where the B team were Runners up in the Charity final), a Dandylions trial and then the match v the WOSPS, which was lost to the boot of the WOSPS stand off, Sterling

Fenton. Belhaven Hill was represented proudly in this match, held on a miserably rainy afternoon at Belhaven by Alasdair Bird, Joell Holland Jenkins, Harry Cobb, Henry Dobson, Fergus Black, Geordie Tulloch, Frederick de Klee and Alexander Millar.

An untimely and very nasty stomach bug spread like wild fire through the senior boys and our momentum seemed to grind to a halt.

Sadly this coincided with the reuniting of Belhaven Hill with Craigclowan, with whom we drew at Merchiston. A combination of factors saw us lose disappointingly to a very good side. One major factor being that several of the

boys bravely got out of their sick beds to play. Unfortunately our best defensive forward and ball stealer Harry Cobb did not recover in time. His absence was certainly missed. Credit to Craigclowan, they played to their strengths on the day and did not let up the pressure.

Harry did, however, recover to represent the Scottish Prep Schools side in York alongside Geordie Tulloch, Fergus Black, Henry Dobson and Joell Holland Jenkins. This proved a successful venture as the Scots team defeated both Durham/Northumberland and Yorkshire. The Belhaven boys played no small part in this success.

A Belhaven Hill “B” team then lost at St. Mary’s and our season, having started with such promise seemed to be petering out rather disappointingly. Fortunately the boys rallied once more to produce a hard fought victory at Fettes to finish on a high note.

Player profiles Alasdair Bird; Colours/Dandylion. A very determined and brave forward, especially when on close combat duty. Alasdair’s tackling improved throughout the season but his best contribution was at ruck and maul where he was committed and strong. His nose looked a lot different after going for a high ball at the same time as Geordie!

Christopher Ralph; Colours. Our smallest forward in the pack but with a huge heart and very skilful hooking ability. Christopher often “pinched” ball against the head when we were under pressure and he did his best to contribute at any breakdown. His contribution to the team was vital.

Joell takes, Harry Cobb on hand to support as usual - as he was all season.

Geordie in kicking mode again - never one to miss a chance not to pass it to anyone!

It’s up there somewhere, come on lads ... ... CHAAAAARGE!

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Frederick de Klee; Colours/Dandylion. This very combative young man delivered excellent performances time and time again through the season. He tackled well but was also key in the “theft” of the oppositions’ possession regularly. The side benefited from his strength at every breakdown and he showed superb “scavenging” skills in the loose. Was better suited to back row play.

Elliot Graves; Colours. Took some time to develop real confidence in his ability but by the end of the season Elliot was offering good strength at the breakdown. He showed glimpses of real determination when carrying the ball and was also useful as a line-out option.

David Dalrymple; Colours. David used his strength well in close contact situations and developed a good understanding of his role as a second row. He was very versatile, playing at prop and in the back row when required and never gave anything less than his full commitment. He developed the confidence to carry the ball at the opposition which he became adept at doing.

Joell Holland Jenkins; Colours/Dandylions/Scottish Prep Schools. He offered a very threatening ball carrying option and looked at his most dangerous when doing so. Was also very useful as an open play defender but did not always use his size and strength to full effect at ruck and maul. Developed excellent line out skills and played very well for the Scottish Prep schools side too.

Harry Cobb; Vice Captain/Colours/Dandylions/Scottish Prep Schools. Was absolutely crucial to the success of the side with first class open side skills in defence,

attack and as a scavenger for loose ball. Harry led his pack by example, always the first up to tackle when the opposition ran penalties, but also showed real strength at every breakdown. He carried the ball with fantastic determination and was badly missed in the second match against Craigclowan. A very capable performer and one to watch for the future.

Henry Dobson; Colours/Dandylions/Scottish Prep Schools. Lethal when up to full pace carrying the ball and had a remarkable try count to back this up. Handling improved during the season and his work at the back of the scrum provided dangerous attacking options. Could get caught flat footed in defence at times but was never unwilling to make a tackle. His strength at ruck and maul justified his inclusion in the Scottish Prep schools side.

Fergus Black; Colours/Dandylions/Scottish Prep Schools. Had a very good season growing in confidence from the start. Fergus had a very good pass off either hand and was a brave defender around the fringes. He developed a real understanding of support play from scrum half and contributed some excellent tries in crucial games. His kicking was also vital but it was his excellent service that won him a place in the Scottish Prep Schools team.

Alexander Millar; Colours/Dandylions. Moved from full back to stand off where his excellent ball handling skills and tackling were made better use of. Alexander worked hard to develop a kicking option to his attacking play and became an excellent number 10. He was reliable in defence and clever in attack. With just a little more pace he would have certainly tested defences further but always gave 100% and he was crucial to the team’s success.

Geordie Tulloch; Captain/Colours/Dandylions/Scottish Prep Schools. A very strong runner and totally committed when trying to break through the oppositions backline. Geordie is a back row forward at heart but his all-round ball skills had to be utilised in the back line where he was given more room to run. His handling was excellent, passing (when it happened) improved but his tackling was absolutely outstanding. He thoroughly deserved his inclusion in the Scottish Prep Schools side where he excelled in defence and attack.

Toby Moynan; Colours. The most improved player in the side. Toby showed excellent commitment in defence and by the end of the season was forcing his opposite number to think quickly with some determined breaks in attack. Developed a very clear understanding of the defensive duties of a centre and often prevented tries from overlaps by moving up on his man at speed.

James Cochrane; Colours. Was very good with the ball in hand and brave if a little lacking in technique in defence. James provided excellent pace on the wing but needed a little more possession to really show what he could do. One to watch for next year.

Cameron Hardie; Colours. Totally committed to the cause with some first class defence, often against much faster and bigger opposite numbers who had our line in their sights. Cameron also proved an elusive runner with the ball in hand but was starved of possession too much for him to express himself fully. Must be given huge credit for picking the game up in form 2 and becoming a very able wing three-quarter by the end of his second season.

Patrick Arbuthnott; Colours. Proved a very able full back particularly when gathering kicked ball. Patrick showed excellent evasion skills to gain his forwards time to help when under attack. He also showed excellent appetite for joining the line and did so with first class judgement most of the time. His passing and tackling improved and he fitted in very well at full back.

Finn Curry; A very strong and able front row forward who offered capable cover on either side. Finn got fitter as the season progressed and looked dangerous when carrying the ball near the end of the season.

George Ellis Hancock; A very versatile forward who mainly provided cover in the front row including hooker. Had the makings of a regular starter but did lack a willing to join the fray at the breakdown. George did improve his all-round play as the season progressed.

John MacAulay; Was a very able forward who quietly went about his business at ruck and maul with efficiency. John also provided an awareness at line-out but needed more confidence to carry the ball hard in to the opposition.

James Wilson; Always tried hard in games and provided committed cover in the back line. James lacked some handling skills but was an illusive runner and a brave defender when necessary.

Mungo Kilgour; Provided excellent options on the wing, Mungo was a real flier when given the ball. His defence was committed for one so much smaller than most but his best contribution was his pace in attack. He scored the try of the season

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in one match but had it disallowed by an over enthusiastic, unsympathetic ref.!

Alexander Swanson; Really improved towards the end of the season and became

a combative and abrasive member of the pack. One to watch for next season.

Max Barnes; Grew in confidence when carrying the ball and became a very elusive

runner. His defence also improved and he will be a key figure in next term’s first XV.

Mr H

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Hockey1st Girls

Having completed an unbeaten netball season in Scotland, the

girls were eager to improve their hockey and play some matches.

Catherine nominated herself as goalie and from the start was looking impressive with her skills. These have improved tremendously during the course of the term, thanks to some expert training from Mr Wilson and she now is a phenomenal goalkeeper, full of guts and has saved many goals for the team.

Alex showed her love for hockey early on in the term when she spent 3 hours one afternoon playing – only to recover the next day. A skilful attacker with a mean hit, Alex scared off much opposition when they saw her hit – no one, not even the staff wanted to tackle her! Octavia, another fast, hard-working attacker moves swiftly with the ball keen to score with the help of Emma who is always there in the D ready for a goal. Patricia, with speed, made a valuable link in mid field between the defence and the attack. No wonder then, that these 5 girls were selected to play for the Dandylions Hockey this term. The rest of the team have worked hard in their own way to ensure that matches were not lost too heavily.

With other schools playing hockey the term before, these girls were playing catch up in matches. Training hard and getting to a great standard by the end of the term only to finish off and begin to think of the forthcoming rounders term.

The first match of the term – I don’t think the girls or I will ever forget. Travelling down to St. Mary’s across the countryside, through the snow and hail, to arrive at a rather blue skied St. Mary’s. With snow still on the edges of the pitches and a bitterly cold wind the girls played hard. St. Mary’s had a few strong players but it did not stop Alex tackling the players, hitting the ball down the

wing to our waiting attackers. The St. Mary’s defence were strong and cleared the ball away and soon had possession of the ball. Our rather cold defence struggled to clear the ball on several occasions and St. Mary’s won the game. Our girls decided that they must be used to the weather. With soggy feet, a cup of hot soup was a warm welcome before heading back to a snowy Dunbar.

The next trip down to St. Mary’s was more enjoyable and far warmer weather. The girls took part in the Dandylions trials and with much competition from the 4 other schools, Alex, Emma, Octavia, Patricia were selected. Catherine was selected as A team Goalie at the following practice.

These girls must have a curse on the weather as the next match against Kilgraston saw the girls leave Dunbar in thick snow - AGAIN! However, we arrived at Kilgraston to play a game of hockey in beautiful warm sunshine. This was a great match for both teams. A more evenly matched game, saw the girls improve tremendously. The defence were working much harder, sweeping balls to the side rather than straight onto the oppositions stick, the mid field Arabella and Patricia went in for tackles and gained possession. The three attackers worked together hard and had numerous shots at goal. The game was 1 – 1 right up until the final 5 minutes, when Kilgraston took a free hit and managed to score, winning the game. Leaving Kilgraston in the sunshine, we

arrived back to school in the snow! The final match of the term was

against Ardvreck. Despite little time to warm up, the girls, determined and fired up, played hard. Footwork from our defence allowed Ardvreck to score the first goal and then Belhaven stepped up a level and fought back. Some fantastic play from everyone set up a great goal to even the scores. Had Catherine not been

in goal, Belhaven would have been trailing by at least 10 goals in the first few minutes – diving tackling, kicking the ball the spectators were in awe of the goalie. Another two lucky goals by the end of the match allowed Ardvreck to win.

The girls should not be disheartened at the results from this term – they have improved their skills tremendously. The team are certainly more attackers than defenders and have tried very hard to score in matches, missing out on the goal by inches each time. Unfortunately for them, the three matches were away

– always a disadvantage – and against teams which have played hockey for two terms.

Well done girls – you’ve kept smiling and certainly kept me amused on the minibus with your songs and games!

The team:Alex Riley – right wing (Captain,

Colours, dandylions)Octavia Cobb – centre attack (colours,

dandylions)Emma Mactaggart – left attack

(colours, dandylions)Lucy Coleman – attackPatricia Walker – mid field (colours,

dandylions)Arabella Bradley – mid fieldKirsty Landale – mid fieldEliza Plowden – mid fieldAnna Will – defenceAntonia Ward – defenceCatherine Hocknell – goalie (colours,

dandylions)

Antonia Ward : Kirsty Landale : Arabella Bradley : Lucy Coleman : Anna Will : Eliza PlowdenCatherine Hocknell : Patricia Walker : Alex Riley (c) : Octavia Cobb : Emma Mactaggart

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Under 12 Girls

An eager team of U12 players this term show much promise for

their game of hockey. Leonora has improved tremendously as goalie this term, growing in confidence with some training from Mr Wilson. She will certainly be trying to follow in Catherine’s footsteps next year.

Again with the U12 team, the attack is much stronger than the defence. An attacking line of Emily ‘goal hanger’, Lucy and Victoria is greatly supported by the mid fielders Ella and Sophie. The defenders Beth, Claire and Dhileas were getting better at clearing the ball away from the goal as the term progressed and Beth’s free hits improved with every match.

Their first match against Cargilfield saw the girls all over the place – not quite working as a team and trying to do too much at times. With some good breaks, the girls got free to gain possession of the ball but Cargilfield had some good players who quickly picked up the ball and scored.

With this behind them and focusing on the next match the girls practised their passing and dribbling and looked forward to playing Loretto. With the home advantage, the girls certainly had the upper hand on the field. Scoring quickly and working well they dominated the field. Loretto had a good attacker and with our defence not quite ready at the time she managed to score the goals for the team. Belhaven were leading the way all the time and some great breaks from Sophie, to Emily and Ella, allowed Lucy to get in position and score. Unfortunately Loretto scored at the last minute to finish the game with a draw.

The fixture against Ardvreck arrived and without really having time to warm up, the girls played hard. Against a stronger team, the girls held their own. Team work had improved and the girls were more aware of their positions on the pitch. Trying desperately hard to

score, Emily and Lucy missed out each time. Two goals from Ardvreck took them into the lead to win the game.

The final match of the term was the return match against Loretto. With both teams eager to win, Belhaven knew they would have to play hard. Well, they dominated the pitch with some excellent play, great passing and positioning. With both teams gaining equal possession of the ball, the girls needed to improve their passes to make them more accurate. Some hard hits from Victoria ‘scared’ the opposition and allowed Emily, Lucy and Ella to position themselves and score. This was a fantastic match to end of the season – all I wanted to do was enjoy watching the match it was that exciting. The girls kept the upper hand in this game and went on to secure a final victory for the

term.Well done girls – you’ve come on a lot

this term and all made a huge amount of progress. It has also been encouraging to see that every member of Form 2 has played in at least 2 hockey matches this term.

The team:Ella Coleman (Captain)Lucy ColemanVictoria ErskineEmily GladstoneSophie Gordon CummingBeth FletcherDhileas HeywoodClaire JoiceyLeonora Campbell

Claire Joicey : Beth Fletcher : Leonora Campbell : Dhileas HeywoodSophie Gordon Cumming : Emily Gladstone : Ella Coleman (c) : Lucy Coleman : Victoria

Erskine

Under 11 Boys

The U11 group was an exceptionally large one this year, consisting of

27 boys from Forms three and four. In many ways this proved to be a boon with a great depth of talented boys and very competitive practices; it did, however, make selection rather difficult at times. Fortunately, with such a big group, there were a number of U10 matches organised this season which meant that every single boy played in at least one

match, with the vast majority playing in more than that.

This was a season with a collection of very interesting matches. We began with a couple of matches against Cargilfield. Frustratingly, these were six-a-side matches on a very small astro which is neither a format that we are used to playing, nor one that I enjoy, but one that is creeping into more schools. Not only does this make it difficult for the children to adjust but I think that this age group is perfectly capable of playing proper field hockey which encourages

a greater sense of positional play and appreciation of the game. In addition it prevents one or two children dominating the game. Rant over. We lost both the A and B matches heavily.

We had an exciting but bitterly cold match against Fettes which ended in a draw and an even more exciting match against Ardvreck on grass. The Ardvreck match proved that a game on grass can be enjoyable and it was a tragedy that we lost it in the final thirty seconds.

An ice-hockey match against Craigclowan was great fun despite

107

the conditions, and ended in a good victory for us; while our final match of the season, against Loretto, was also won. Unfortunately I missed this one as Mrs Townshend, with no regard for the importance of U11 hockey, decided to give birth.

The Craigclowan tournament proved to be a super day out. It was fast and furious and after some excellent hockey Belhaven Hill ended up being beaten into second place on goal difference.

I am very pleased with the progress of the U11 boys this season. I believe that as the players have developed, they have played entertaining, open hockey by using the full width of the field. This

has not been a year of any ‘stand alone’ stars but it has been one full of talent and determination. The majority of the boys seem to enjoy the game which is gratifying. Although the U11 team contained a majority of form 3 boys (many of whom will no doubt be playing for the first team next year) I also look forward to next year when the obvious talents of so many of the form four boys, coupled with greater experience and confidence, should produce another good team.

Well done boys.

Player critique:Our forwards (Will, Tom D, Peter,

Tom S, Lochie) worked well together at times but must learn to get their passes and shots off a bit sooner. I thought the wings did a super job out wide and by the end of the season were beginning to play a vital role in matches. Peter was very strong and dominating up front and Tom S was very nippy and quick to shoot.

Our halves developed well. Rory grew in confidence and ended up being a leading player while Tom G played a pivotal role and controlled the game from the middle, never giving anything less than 100%. Douglas clearly has talent and will no doubt be a strong player next year. George In-His-Car and Andrew are both promising players but just need a bit more confidence which should come with experience. Andrew in particular, showed an enthusiasm to improve.

At the back, Hector was very reliable and a strong tackler while Archie grew into his position and ended up showing a very clear head and good skills.

In goal Arthur was steady, keeping out a number of goals although, like all keepers, he still dreams of being a striker and getting glory. Dream on…

The two Rogers boys made the occasional appearance and their speed and agility served them well. Hopefully they will be a bit stronger next year and thus capable of adding a solid pass to their other skills. Dougal was strong and determined while Henry was enthusiastic if somewhat unorthodox.

WT

Back Row: George Innes Ker: Andrew Watson : Lochie de Klee : Dougal Forsyth : Archie Rettie

Front Row: Rory Barnes : Tom Stodart : Arthur Ellis-Hancock : Peter Dalrymple (c) : Tom Galbraith : Will Jack : Hector Laird

Under 10 Boys

A large number of very enthusiastic and not unskilful under ten

boys had an excellent season on the training ground. Some represented the under elevens, and with two under ten A matches and two B team fixtures only, it was important that a balance was struck between ensuring that the A team was competitive and also ensuring that everyone had an

opportunity to play.In the A team, Dougal Forsyth and

Archie Rettie proved themselves hugely solid defenders, helped out by honorary under ten star Jake Hoyer Millar in goal. With George Innes Ker and Douglas Donaldson as creative mid fielders, the team played good hockey, ensuring that striker George Cuthbert had plenty of opportunities. Throughout the season, Freddy and Caspar Rogers raced up and down the flanks, providing an excellent outlet for the defensive players and

creating opportunities up front.The B team showed that there was

much strength in depth. Alasdair Johnston was one of a couple on the fringes of the A side, and is a very capable player, while the left-handed Henry Roberts was very useful on the left wing. Leo Seymour up front annoys defenders, who never know which way he will turn next.

All looks well for the under elevens next year.

Under 9 Boys

Our first match was away from home against Cargilfield was

a good learning experience for our mixed A and B teams, and we did well to keep in touch - just ! (aggregate score for the afternoon’s matches: against: 7, for : 1)

But learn we did and, by the time Loretto came to visit, things were looking up, space was found, passes were

strung together and goals were scored. In the end, the A team won 5 - 1 and the B team lost 4 - 1, so everybody went home happy ! (aggregate scores: against : 5, for : 6)

After a lengthy break, we were ready for our next fixture and eagerly awaited the triangular against Fettes and Cargilfield to test whether we had continued to improve our team effort after Half-Term. We played some very good Hockey to beat Fettes 3 - 1 and

managed to restrict Cargilfield for most of the game but eventually went down 5 - 0 which was a fair result.

Overall, our skills levels improved as term went on, as did our overall understanding of the game and match-play situations. Next year’s U11 teams will be able to build on some solid foundations, which is really what U9 Hockey is all about : building for the future.

MR

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2nd XI Boys

I wondered whether to write a 2nd XI hockey report given that the

season was somewhat disrupted and then I looked back in my file and remembered that once again this talented bunch who had missed out on selection for Peeky’s elite had been unbeaten all season once again. How could they not deserve a report?!

So here goes. We opened our account with a

very impressive performance against Craigclowan on their splendid astroturf surface. This game saw several of our

players as real first team contenders. Birdy was outstanding as was Baynesy. These two particularly showed high levels of skill and featured on the score sheet in a 2 – 5 victory.

The most striking feature of our play was the willing of our team to run and run. Cameron Hardie and Max Barnes covered acres of ground in this match.

Our next challenge really was just that. We went to Fettes where we were behind three times in a match that we somehow drew 3-3! Again we covered a lot of ground but played with a degree of panic at times. Fortunately we discovered the striking talents of Swanny during this match. He scored two very well taken

goals and the third was contributed by our mid field dynamo Rafe.

The only other full 11 game I have a report on in my file was our match against Strathallan. This match we won 3-1 and our scorers on the day were Max, Adam and Rafe. Mungo stands out in my memory as being particularly industrious in this match. Indeed this was the case from this energetic and competitive young man throughout the season.

Well done to all those who served in this outstanding team during a very successful season once again!

Mr H

Back row: Cameron Hardie : Rafe Seymour : Elliot Graves : Joell Holland-Jenkins : Will Cuthbert : George Ellis-Hancock : Geordie Gladwin

Front row: Max Barnes : James Gladstone : Adam Baynes : David Dalrymple (c) : Alex Swanson : John MacAulay : Mungo Kilgour

1st XI Boys

The 2007 hockey Season will be remembered for two things,

primarily. First the arrival of a certain Mr Warwick Wilson, mad goalkeeper and keen hockey player and secondly for the Strathallan Sixes Tournament (see below).

The 2nd XI report will undoubtedly dwell on the fact that they did not lose a single match and I am grateful to Liam Harvey for his expertise and assistance but more so for not dwelling (well not much, anyway) on the fact that the 1st XI lost two matches this season!

With these two gentlemen helping, the

practice sessions were more manageable considering there were more than 30 boys in the group. Warwick trained the goalies and this has been a tremendous boon and all the goalies in the school benefited from his expertise. It also allowed Liam and myself to concentrate on attack and defence skills without having to worry whether the goalkeepers were being left out. Just brilliant.

Without a major leading player the Team looked as if it might be a great deal weaker than the past three years, but in this I was to be proved wrong. In Geordie Tulloch there was a workaholic in midfield and his tireless work rate proved invaluable. In the past there have

been obvious candidates for captain – but not this year. Who to lead the team? A star find was Harry Cobb who led the team from centre back and certainly didn’t hold back on his vocal support and instruction.

All the matches were closely fought games with nobody dominating play and it soon became apparent that the whole team was gelling and everyone relied on everyone else being in the right position at the right time. Some notable performances from Christopher Ralph in goal kept out many a scoring opportunity for oppositions and he was ably helped by the backs who were chosen from a squad of 4 players – Harry Cobb,

110

Henry Dobson, Frederick de Klee, Finn Curry. They were all big and strong with a determination to chase down the attack players and interrupt their play – and they all did a good job.

Centre field produces (or should!) the power house of a team and to begin with I thought this would be our weakness. Step up to the mark a certain Geordie Tulloch who has a reputation for indefatigability and so it proved on the hockey pitch. Match after match would see him covering most of the pitch time and again, but of course he could not do it all himself and there were some excellent support players in James Wilson, Alexander Millar, James Cochrane and Jamie Kelly. When this half line was on song there was little the opposition could do.

The strikers have always been a little more troublesome to find. The idea in boys’ heads is that a striker waits in the circle for a ball to be passed and then it is a given right that he should have a free shot at goal with all the time in the world! Thus many boys put themselves forward for the position but most are found wanting. The talented, though injured, striker turned out to be Fergus Black, but as a result of a knee injury he did not play to his full capacity. Other contenders for the enviable position were Hugh Rettie and Alasdair Bird.

There will not follow minutiae of detail about each match as they are all on the school’s website – instead a rundown of the characters who make up the team is far more interesting. If it’s statistics you’re after, then they will be found on the results page! However, what has been included is the write up of the Strathallan Six-a-side Competition as, this year, far beyond my expectations of the players, they won the shield!

CHARACTERS

Harry Cobb, colours, centre back: man of steel and led the team by example of sheer hard work, tenacity and improving stick skill. Would never allow an attacker through without a fight and by the end of the season was hitting the ball out of defence like a bullet. Also showed good skill in attack and was often seen encroaching the centre field. Knew exactly what was required of the defence trio. Well known on the circuit for screaming instructions at his team – certainly motivational! A solid rock-like figure for the team, who will be sorely missed.

Geordie Tulloch, colours, centre half: a whirling dervish of a player who never allowed a moment to go by without action of some sort. Possessed great skill when on the ball and was able to scythe his way through opposition defence like the

proverbial knife through layer cake! Became very adept at the stroke but will not want to be reminded of the time he missed! When he got it right the ball whizzed into the goal. A great player to have midfield and everyone sparked off his play. End of the Tulloch generation of players for the moment and I won’t be here for the next lot, sadly!

Fergus Black, colours, striker: possessing a lot of skill, though blew a bit hot and cold and needed to exert his energy regularly rather than in small, though

effective bursts. Could jink his way through the defence beautifully and by the end of season was a thorn in any opposition defence. Sadly, a knee injury mid-season stopped Fergus in his tracks and it took a while for him to get going again – luckily he did by Strath sixes (see below).

James Wilson, colours, right wing: became stronger and stronger and had the confidence to take on left defence effectively. Great to see him weave his way round a left back, take the ball to the baseline and then either come into the circle for a shot or fire the ball to a waiting striker.

Alexander Millar, colours, right half:

took a while to get going but showed improving skills over the season. He and James worked well together and he became a tenacious half, linking well and covering well in defence when required. Had trouble staying on his feet and was often seen flat on his backside after slipping! Came of age at Strathallan sixes!

Hugh Rettie, colours, striker: not a player who stood out from the crowd but improved his invasive skills and was always one to hover around the goalmouth waiting for the opportunity to get the last touch on the ball before entering the goal. Just needed to put himself about a bit more to gain the goals that would have been there for him.

Jamie Kelly, colours, left wing: a little terrier of a player who had a massive heart and would run till he dropped. Skill improved greatly over the season and his control of the ball became exceptional. Being small he is lucky to have a low

centre of gravity and so can zip around at all sorts of acute angles and ‘cutting up’ the larger players. Great to have him back next season.

James Cochrane, left half: fiery little player who improved his skills and would run till he dropped – fantastic commitment to the game. He and Jamie were a good left half combination and would often be seen linking well and causing grief to defence. Will be great to have him back next season.

Alasdair Bird, colours: would slot into any position going available! Play improved and he came of age at Strathallan Sixes where his efforts did not go unrewarded. A tenacious player.

Paddy Arbuthnott: part-time player who was in and out of the first team. Probably found the hockey more comfortable in the 2nds but tried very hard to better his skills. A little slow to release the ball to other players and didn’t quite reach the required level for full-time inclusion. Certainly has potential for the future.

Toby Moynan: part-time player also who showed tenacity but would blow hot and cold. Certainly keen to improve but as a striker needed to be quicker to pounce on the ball and then be more aggressive in possession. Has potential if he wants to take the game further.

Frederick de Klee, right back: in and out of the 1st team but was keen to stay in! Improved his defensive skills over the season and by the end was solid enough. Hitting skills needed to improve but his tackling was strong.

Finn Curry: utility player who fancied himself as a striker/half/back. What was a coach to do? Eventually he decided on defence and made a good back who would attack as well as defend. Last match of the season saw him at his best and he made great runs out of defence and then had the intelligence to release the ball to the attacking halves. A great character to have in a team.

Henry Dobson, right back: at the start of season not terribly keen but the coach worked on him knowing that he would strike fear into opposition – and so it turned out! If outplayed his recovery was so swift he became a real thorn in the side of attackers. Renowned for his sweep clearances which rocketed down the pitch out of danger. Overheard saying, “I really like this game. I didn’t know how much fun it could be.” Those who know Henry’s reticence will realise how much a compliment that is – and the coach recognises it!

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Standing: Little Coach : Alexander Millar : James Wilson : Harry Cobb (c) : Fergus Black : Geordie Tulloch

Kneeling: Alasdair Bird : Jamie Kelly : Christopher Ralph : Hugh Rettie

Strathallan Six-a-Side Tournament

Wednesday 7th March will remain in nine boys’ memories for quite a long time, I warrant, and quite rightly so too. The previous days’ sessions had not gone particularly well and the Coach knew he hadn’t given the boys enough preparation for the 6-a-side game, being more intent on the 11-a-side game. However, there were one or two individuals who would be lynch pins in the squad and perhaps things would ‘come right’ on the day. There were twelve boys who could have gone to Strathallan this year and the Selector had a bit of a nightmare making his mind up as to whom the final 9

players would be. The Tuesday’s practice session was the clincher and those who played to the required standard were chosen.

The 8 participating teams were put into two groups for the pool matches and we were drawn against Cargilfield, Craigclowan and Ardvreck - certainly

a tough draw. Cargilfield came with a high reputation and we would have to start the competition without the usual ‘belhavenitis’, otherwise we would be struggling and having to play catch-up hockey.

From the start Captain Harry Cobb and his team played out of their skins and there was an instant ‘gelling’ of the players. This was not going to be a showcase of individual skills but that of team effort and support for each other. Cargilfield were rather knocked by this as they relied heavily on one or two individuals who were marked so tightly that they were unable to operate at their best. Time and time again Belhaven found themselves attacking Cargilfield’s

goal and although 9 shots were made none went past their excellent keeper. Each post was hit and even Geordie Tulloch’s penalty stroke missed its target! Was this going to be the story of our day?

Cargilfield also had their moments,

but the marking was fantastic and Harry Cobb’s tackling skill and subsequent possession and distribution was simply second to none. With each half lasting 10 minutes the day was going to be about fitness as well as team hockey and here Belhaven showed their strengths. With three replacements on the ‘bench’, rolling substitution was going to be crucial in maximising the players’ reserves and all players had their chance in this first game. No-one was found wanting and the resulting draw was a fantastic result. Hugh Rettie had stamina and was at last able to show his skills on the six-a-side pitch. A hard-fought game, no ‘belhavenitis’ and a forming thought that greater things were possible.

Ardvreck brought a lot of pressure on our players, especially as we had had only a 5 minute break since the last match. However, although Ardvreck scored first, (Christopher Ralph, goalie, was devastated that he had allowed such a simple goal to be scored!) the team’s determination and teamwork came to the fore and the equaliser was scored by Fergus Black. More pressure was put on the Ardvreck circle and by the end of the half Belhaven were beginning to dominate. By now the legs and lungs were beginning to feel overworked and rolling substitutions began, giving Alasdair Bird the opportunity to show his skills and chasing ability. Positional swapping on the field also took place, thus, in the second half, Harry Cobb found himself as striker for a spell, got hold of the ball and punched it home cleanly - just to prove that his skills are not only defensive ones! This sealed the match and we had an hour’s wait till the final pool match against Craigclowan.

By the time this last match arrive we knew that a draw or win would get us through to the semis, but also that Craigclowan had been playing well and it would be a tough game. I can only think that the adrenaline and thought of semi finals gave all our players something extra. Geordie Tulloch showed exceptional stick skill; Jamie Kelly superb balance and control; Fergus

Christopher Ralph, colours, goalkeeper: with the help of Mr Wilson, Chris took off (literally most of the time!) and his skills became a central component of the team’s success. Mad, of course, he was always flinging himself around and getting players to hit the ball at him as hard as possible. He would even dive around when there was no hockey ball in sight. Just great!

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Black (just back from 3 weeks injury) played his best hockey of the season; James Wilson was strong everywhere and in this match scored a fantastic reaction goal.

Working with Alexander Millar, Geordie Tulloch worked the ball up the left of the field, got behind the defender and fired one hard across the goal. There, on the right post, was James Wilson who lunged at the ball and, calculating the angle correctly, saw the ball rocket into the net. Brilliant! The second half saw Belhaven’s man-for-man marking being extremely effective and Craigclowan were not allowed to play the hockey they were definitely capable of. Thus, with the 1-0 victory, Belhaven went through to the semi-finals - and lunch!

Strath were runners up of the other pool and, to be honest, they did not put up a great deal of resistance. Geordie Tulloch dominated proceedings and scored three goals - one in open play, one from a penalty corner and one from a stroke (yes, he actually scored from the ‘spot’!) Strath, though, did embarrass Christopher Ralph (on his own admission) by scoring underneath

his legs, but by then the game was ‘in the bag’ and the Final beckoned.

Fettes were a strong team and they were as determined as Belhaven to win that Trophy! But Belhaven were on the score sheet first - Geordie Tulloch down the right this time with Jamie Kelly and firing the ball towards the goal from just inside the circle. That ball was going in without a shadow of doubt but Fergus Black touched the ball while it was crossing the line - just to make sure! They’re still arguing about who should claim it!

But Fettes were not cowed and kept attacking and their efforts led to a penalty stroke - thankfully put wide by their striker and we could breathe again a bit more easily. Yet another occasion

brought out the best save from Christopher Ralph who had to launch himself low and to his right, put his stick at full stretch and parry the ball around the post - a match saver! As the final whistle blew, the joy and relief on the players’ faces was fantastic to see.

Although I’m somewhat biased I do feel that the players deserved the trophy. They played some outstanding hockey individually,

though more importantly played the game as a team and used every player who went onto the pitch. Harry Cobb’s winning of the Player of the Tournament underlined what it was all about, as it was emphasised this award was for the player who was the best team player. Irony had her little dig at the coach, as he had contemplated leaving Harry out of the squad after a rather lacklustre performance during the previous training sessions - thank goodness sense prevailed!

You all played superbly well throughout the tournament, so wear your T-shirts with pride and clear a space on the family mantle for your medal... (That will do. Your readers can only take so much. Ed)

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Cricket1st XI Season Report

In such a cold and wet term as we experienced this year, it was

amazing that we completed so many of our fixtures. The weather did, however, affect training sessions and made it more difficult to enjoy the sport to its full.

The season opened with a tough game against Craigclowan a team with some sharp bowlers and a depth of batsmen. In this one we were outclassed but there were some glimmers of what was to come in decent early season bowling performances by Fergus and Geordie.

Our next match against the Academy was a very different game. Fergus led from the front and scored an almost flawless 89 not out. Unfortunately it was difficult to judge what a winning score would be on such a small field and we accelerated a little late, ending up with a total that proved to be insufficient. In a high-scoring match, Geordie’s bowling stood out.

We played Fettes at home and totally overpowered them. Our bowling was immaculate with only 10 extras conceded. This was a very good result as Fettes beat a number of schools that we lost to – that’s cricket, but it did show what we were capable of if everyone was on top of their game.

We then lost heavily to Loretto and threw away our match against Merchiston where we didn’t manage to chase down their total of 99. This match was a disappointment and highlighted some deficiencies in our batting, as did

our match against Ardvreck where we only managed to post a total of 61 runs. The batting in this match was poor with some ridiculous shots played. On the other hand, the match proved to be a

testament to the team’s excellent bowling and gritty character when they came very close (three overs : two wickets) to defending such a paltry score.

It was at this point that we set off into England on tour and there was some concern that the season would turn into a bit of a disaster. Not so. The long and somewhat circuitous trip into Yorkshire seemed to revitalise the squad (or perhaps it was just the presence of the girls who joined us on tour) and led to some very good play.

Against Terrington Hall, some solid bowling limited them to two figures and then an outstanding innings by Geordie, well supported by James, Fergus and Hugh, allowed the team to record their second win of the season in a very fine manner. The match against Bramcote the following day was also a success. They batted very well and posted a strong target before declaring their innings. Unfortunately we lost some early wickets and struggled to score runs. Not accustomed to this style of cricket, our innings could have crumbled but for some very patient and determined batting by a number of boys. Fergus held his bat for long enough to score 60 runs and this, combined with another good effort by Hugh was enough to secure the draw. Not a win, and Bramcote certainly had the better of the match, but an excellent display of determination and a good result under the circumstances.

Our final fixture of the season was against Clifton, the touring team from South Africa. As always, it was so much more than a game of cricket – it was an excellent opportunity for Belhaven boys to meet boys from another country, and they got on very well indeed.

Statistically, this wasn’t a particularly successful season; indeed we had few wins, but in many other ways it was a success. Any season where, as a prep school coach you see a couple of boys suddenly come on and start to show the makings of cricketers, or any season where despite some heavy defeats, the team is still upbeat and keen, must be considered a success. The boys never lost heart and their enjoyment of the sport

never seemed dimmed. I hope it never does and I am certain that a number of these boys will be playing A team cricket in the future.

Notable Batting Performances:

F. Black 89 n.o. Ed. AcademyF. Black 60 BramcoteG. Tulloch 52 n.o. Terrington HallF. de Klee 34 n.o. Fettes

Notable Bowling Performances (overs-maidens-runs-wickets):

O M R WG. Tulloch 6.5 1 22 4H. Cobb 7 0 32 4F. Black 6 1 6 3G. Tulloch 7.3 2 13 3F. Black 8 2 17 3G. Tulloch 5 1 20 3F. Black 7 0 31 3J. Kelly 1.2 0 4 2

The Players:Fergus Black. Had two tremendous

innings, one of which was key to keeping us in the match. Despite this, I feel that he didn’t quite live up to his potential as an outstanding batsman, sometimes letting himself down with poor shot selection. As a bowler he made great improvements with his consistency and developed into a very worthwhile strike bowler. He led the team well and

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will represent Scotland again over the summer holidays.

James Wilson. Not always comfortable opening, he did a solid job with some decent spells in the middle. Behind the stumps he was tidy with very few byes conceded.

Geordie Tulloch. Developed into a very useful bowler, focusing on accuracy rather than pace. An outstanding fielder, both at slip and in the outfield. A determined batsman, Geordie had a number of good knocks, most memorably against Terrington where

his innings was crucial in winning the match.

Alasdair Bird. Always enthusiastic and willing to do whatever was asked of him. Alasdair struggled a bit with his batting but turned into a very competent spinner (when he remembered to relax and take his time). Alasdair’s opening spells often provided important breakthroughs.

Jamie Kelly. A keen cricketer, he proved that he could bowl effectively and took some important wickets. Jamie has potential as a batsman but lacked confidence. Should do well next year.

Frederick de Klee. His style of batting worked at times when he could devastate a bowling attack. At other times he struggled to make contact with the ball. Frederick’s bowling too could be very effective at times but he struggled at others.

Harry Cobb. Turned into a good bowler, and got a lot of swing. With a bit more consistency he could be a real force to be reckoned with. As a batsman, ‘The Rock’ proved his worth against Clifton.

Christopher Ralph. Entertaining. Always willing to give it a go and usually with a smile. He certainly made the rest of us smile.

Alexander Millar. A keen cricketer, his bowling showed promise but his lack of confidence stopped him being really effective. With work he could take a number of wickets in the future.

Hugh Rettie. The team always seemed to do well when Hugh was in it. Hugh was a solid fielder and proved himself to be a determined batsman

with staying power. Played a big hand in ensuring our win against Terrington and draw against Bramcote.

Paddy Arbuthnott. Very keen. Struggled with the bat but a useful fielder.

Alex Swanson. Wielded the willow with some effect on occasion. A brave and worthwhile fielder on the square-leg boundary where he made some excellent saves.

Rafe Seymour. Keen and showed some potential. Could develop into a useful player next year.

Back Row: John MacAulay (scorer) : Harry Cobb : Paddy Arbuthnott : Frederick de Klee : Alex Swanson : George Ellis-Hancock : Christopher Ralf

Sitting: Alasdair Bird : Geordie Tulloch : Fergus Black (c) : James WilsonKneeling: Alexander Millar : Jamie Kelly : Hugh Rettie : Rafe Seymour

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Under 11 Cricket

With several players returning from last season’s team, and

a very promising crop of form fours competing for places in the early season expectation was high. The fielding had looked sharp even early on in April and with serious competition for places it was very difficult to come up with a squad

of players to practise before the first match. The excellent team spirit that developed was down to this group’s ability to work for each other as a team. A lot of credit for this must go to the expert way in which Arthur Ellis-Hancock marshalled the troops.

Of the matches across a season there are always those that stick in the mind more than others, and this season it was the one away to Craigclowan. Following a convincing victory over Loretto, where Tom Dalrymple starred with an accomplished 78, we travelled to Perthshire in good spirits. We found Craigclowan a far tougher proposition and on a tough early season Scottish wicket did well to reach 80 all out. At 60 for 4 the opposition looked destined for a comfortable victory, at 69 for 8 they most certainly did not. Craigclowan edged nearer and nearer, and as the final overs approached the tension was palpable. The field was silent. Still Craigclowan edged forward, until, with the score on 79 Tom Dalrymple broke through. One wicket to win, and two runs. One lusty blow and it was all over, a sad defeat but a thoroughly memorable game of cricket.

I could mention more matches, some easy victories, some heavy defeats and a variety in between, but it is perhaps better to focus on the players that made this such a good season.

Arthur Ellis-Hancock - captained the side with poise and authority, and contributed several wickets at vital times. A real gentleman in victory and defeat or when involved in an opposition hat-trick (twice!). He will be sorely missed on the cricket fields of Belhaven.

Tom Galbraith – undoubtedly the star of the side with both bat and ball. His century against Edinburgh Academy (75 minutes, 102 balls) was the clear highlight of the season, though he also took seven wickets against Merchiston and contributed with bat and ball in every game. He has a very bright cricketing future.

Tom Dalrymple – a classical batsman, patient and gutsy, who scored two excellent fifties and, but for a bit of bad luck, could have had a few more. He always looked assured at the crease, and is an accurate bowler too.

Peter Dalrymple – got a lot of bounce with the new ball, particularly at home (just ask Hector!) and took five for seven against Loretto in the first game. An excellent fielder, he also contributed some lusty blows in the middle order.

Hector Laird – as wicket keeper took a lot of body blows in the cause of the team, particularly from PD (see above), and emerged remarkably unscathed. Hector is an excellent team player, and a very capable keeper.

Rory Barnes – chipped in with some vital wickets, his ability to throw the ball up and keep the batsman waiting earning him some top order scalps. Rory developed enormously over the course of the term, as a bowler, batsman and, in particular as a gully fielder.

Will Jack – certainly an improving cricketer. Will is an excellent striker of a cricket ball in the middle order, and kept the crowd on their toes with some powerful hitting straight back over the bowler’s head. He is developing as a spin bowler too.

Caspar Rogers – a very promising batsman in practice who will have a major role to play in next year’s eleven. Caspar is a very consistent bowler, and his four wickets against Cargilfield showed that he is able to perform against top class opposition.

Freddy Rogers – bowled very successful off-cutters, and an excellent ground fielder.

All these close matches - not good for the finger nails!

Cool Will

Finger-spinning good!

Ooops! Where’s this one headed for?

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His direct hit run out from square leg at Ardvreck was a particularly memorable moment.

Tom Stodart – a form four who is prepared to open the batting is something of a rarity, but Tom did so with great confidence, nurdling the ball around nicely and very patiently. He also proved his worth as an understudy wicket-keeper in practices.

George Innes Ker – bowled very well throughout the season, with accuracy and increasing pace. His batting became increasingly confident as the term progressed

and he began to show the full range of shots he is clearly capable of.

George Cuthbert – an excellent fielder, and an extremely hard worker in practice, George bowled leg spinners which, though a little wayward at times could be devastating on their day. He is a very promising bowler, and along with the four other form fours will provide the backbone for next year’s team.

Individual performances

100 n.o. Tom Galbraith v Edinburgh Academy

78 Tom Dalrymple v Loretto

62 n.o. Tom Dalrymple v Edinburgh Academy

7 wickets for 5 runs Tom Galbraith v Merchiston

5 for 7 Peter Dalrymple v Loretto

4 for 21 Caspar Rogers v Cargilfield

JP

Going for the ball

Why does that itch always attack me when I bowl?

Which shall I catch? Ball or bail?

Is that going to be out?

Masses of effort put into the spin delivery.

Blast! After all the effort of making the dive, I miss it!

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Standing: Adam Baynes : Finn Curry : Toby Moynan : Will Cuthbert : Max Barnes : James CochraneKneeling left: David DalrympleSitting: Elliot Graves : Paddy Arbuthnott (c) : Joell Holland-Jenkins (c) : Henry Dobson (vc)Kneeling right: Cameron HardieLounging front: George Ellis-Hancock : Hugh RettieTop Right: Favourite batting stroke - the miss!

The above crowd represent the Super Second XI Cricket team. What a fine bunch they have been in entertaining everyone with their curious cricketing skills.

Time has beaten the coach and he has been unable to provide an end of season report in time for this publication - something to do with being rather tied up in the editing department or some such nonsense.

All the coach would like to say is that it has been a privilege and honour to have been involved with trying (desperately) to hone their off drives, catching, throwing and running between wickets. It has been fun and in order that you

may get a feeling as to how things are run in the 2nd XI, I reproduce a match report from this season.

I wish all these talented people the very best of luck in finding the cricket pitches at their next school and urge them to don whites next summer, polish their ball and oil the willow - for there is nothing quite like 2nd XI cricket on a balmy summer’s afternoon for putting you to sleep getting the adrenaline going.

As always - remember the Team’s motto shown on the right for it also applies to life in general, I think!

Little Coach

2nd XI

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Price:priceless

ArdvreckSaturday 2nd June 2007

’Ard afternoon’s workpays off as Ardvrecksuccumbs to TripleCurry and Doublestrength Gravesy

It really was a beautiful afternoon for watching thetalented 2nd XI swing into action. A cloudless skyushered in the start of June and swallows divebombed the pitch relentlessly, whilst the timelesssound of leather on willow echoed through theshrubbery.

Being a Saturday, plenty of male support was inattendance and some of the batsmen needed malesupport as their eye hand co-ordination wassomewhat amiss today. Plenty of bruises no doubttomorrow!

Captain Barbarian lost the toss, despite the doubleheaded coin, and Ardvreck put Belhaven into bat,thus falling neatly into the 2nd XI’s dastardly cunningplot. What this ancient plot is, will be revealed in duecourse but suffice to say it worked out well onceagain.

Currymuncher and Hardly strode to the wicket anddemonstrated a certain joie de quelquechose butdecided that running between the wickets quite oftenwas quite a good idea. (Quite. Ed) And so the scorerattled upward as did the ball after most shots. This asa result of a new batting stroke perfected for today -hours of net practice having honed it to perfection. Inthe nets the ball often becomes lodged on the outsideof the roof netting and so the batsman has to makeupward flapping strokes to try to dislodge said ball.Hence ‘The Flapper’, which, when executed well,sends the ball sharply up in the air and if thetrajectory has been correctly calculated will send theball neatly towards a waiting fielder’s hands.

And does it work well? Oh, yes. Hardly was the firstto use it and gave extra cover a lovely gift-wrappedpresent and he would have been foolish to refuse it!But no-one minded much (Hardly probably did! Ed) asit brought The Barbarian to the wicket. One couldfeel that frisson of excitement crawl through thespectators. Now the fireworks would begin.

Uncharacteristically, the Barbarian was rathertentative and would only pat the ball delicatelytowards various fielders. What was going on? Well,for one thing, the bowling from the Ardvreckbowlers was extremely accurate and really gavenothing away. The Barbarian, used to rank long-hopsand gentle full tosses was rather perplexed and took awhile to get into his usual playing mode. But heeventually unleashed the big shots, including one thatwhistled over the boundary for 6, and the scoremounted steadily.

A partnership of 53 was made, most of the runscoming from the bat, (Can this be right? Check scorebook. Ed) before The Barbarian also succumbed to‘The Flapper’ and gave 2nd slip some high catchingpractice. With the score at 69 for 2 and already 9overs gone, it looked as if the score would not behuge this match.

Dobbo loped to his place at the crease and alsoshowed a tentative approach but at the other endCurrymuncher had got into his stride and was makingsome fine leg-side strokes. Sadly they were all todeliveries on the off side so there was little power tothe shots. However he got away with it and he wasvery keen to take quick singles and tire himself out.Towards the end of his innings he was strolling thefirst run rather than sprinting! A fine 40 was added tohis tally of runs this season and then he decided thatgully was getting bored so produced his version of‘The Flapper’ and left for the pavilion. He had playeda great anchor innings and without his score the finaltotal would have looked a little sorry for itself.

Tobyjug was also slightlyapprehensive but was desperate toscore runs and tore off down thewicket in search of them at everyopportunity. He and Dobbo put on 27before there was a bit of a mix-up afterTobyjug hit the ball straight to a

by our Far Eastern correspondent - Bo Ling

Next Page

RESULTWon by 46 runs

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fielder. Dobbo called for a run and set off; Tobyjugstarted and then realised there might be a bit of aproblem and stopped; Dobbo was having none of itand started up again bellowing ‘Yes’; then hesitated,realised that was the wrong decision and turned to goback to his starting point. By that time the bails hadbeen removed and Dobbo apologetically removedhimself from the proceedings.

Dalpimple did not add much, except a bit of anxiety,so decided to hit one back at the bowler who caught it.This gave Ardvreck a much needed boost and Tobyjugwas obviously nonplussed and started swiping acrossthe line. He swiped once too often and missed aperfectly straight ball and heard his middle stumpclattering to the ground.

With only a few overs remaining Will ‘Lefty’ Cuthyand Huge stuck at it. Will causing grief to the Umpireas sides had to be changed every time he faced - left-handers! Great for the batting team, though, becauseanythin g leg side is smashed over the boundary.Today, though cuthy did not quite have the time to getgoing and the 25 overs were up - so was a cup of tea.

It was stated by the coach categorically that there wasto be no loose bowling. The score of 132 was just notenough to allow Mr Xtras his usual flamboyant add tothe mix! That taken on board, Gellish andCurrymuncher bowled their neatest overs so far thisseason. (I had to go away and lie down. Coach)Currymuncher’s first was a maiden; his second he took2 wickets and his third (sometime later in the game) afurther one. Quite staggeringly awesome!

At 15 for 2 Ardvreck were going to struggle, but ifone of their batsmen got his head down and graftedsome runs they were in with a shout - after all only 6an over would get them there. And knowing how wellMr Xtras has played in the past, Coach knew it wasnot all over yet!

And then The Barbarian came along to turn his armover and in his 2 overs took two wickets. What washappening? Even Huge only gave away 7 runs in hisfirst stint: Dobbo hurled the red pill down at 1000mph and gave Hardly some great diving practice;Tobyjug bowled pretty accurately and Cuthy only gaveaway 7 runs!

This was a magnificent display of bowling butthe best was yet to come!!

Gravesy was thrown the ball and started his run-up. The ball wobbled through the air, dropped tothe ground and decided to go underneath the batas if not wanting to be hit. That it was on targetwas the added bonus and the shouts of delightand exhortation was tremendous. His second ballwas hit ... but ... straight to Currymuncher, whomade no mistake in pouching it. Was thispossible? Gravesy on a hat-trick? No runs yetaccrued from his over? Stroll on, streuth andblimey!! The batsmen did not hit a run fromGravesy’s two overs, though he did succumb andbowl 8 wides!

By now, with the score at 8 for 47 and just a fewovers remaining it looked like curtains forArdvreck, but they put up a spirited defence andthe bowlers gave them a few wides and no balls tohelp things along. Ardvreck’s No. 7 batsman wasdifficult to remove and it took the guile andwiliness of Currymuncher’s leg-break to do it,aided by Gellish, who took the relatively simplecatch at cover and then proceeded to hurl the ballskywards and backwards. Luckily the batsman wason his way because the ball landed perilously closeto the boundary. Had the catch been deemed notcontrolled, it would have been a veryembarrassing moment for Gellish - as it was thewicket stood and Gellish was ecstatic that he hadnot dropped it!

The final wicket was taken by Huge but onlybecause Barnsey actually held onto the catch thistime in a dive forward that would have graced anystart of a 100m freestyle. I’ll not mention theother two he decided to let go of.

Once again W. Ides and N. O’Balls played afantastic innings for 25 and 9 respectively. Whatwould the opposition do without these stalwartplayers? (Score more from the bat as they wouldn’t belaughing so much at the bowling!? Ed)

So the penultimate match ended in victory - andthe team could relax a bit, pressure off, toconcentrate on their other pressing engagement -C. E. We’ll be back after the break for the FinalMatch of the Season - don’t miss it!

Please turn over and turn the magazine around for some action pictures ...

120

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121

RoundersUnder 11 Rounders

Our main objectives at the beginning of the season were

not to be beaten, everyone to play in a home match and to get the opposition out using as few balls as possible (we managed 12), and the girls quickly slotted into their positions.

Daisy Greville Williams took on the responsibility of bowler and was cool, calm and collected in her approach. Her quick reactions resulted in some impressive catching and fielding to get it to first post quickly. Francesca Younger and Claudia Black shared the backstop position. As the season progressed both increased their speed of throwing to first as well as their accuracy. Both of them have a pretty useful hit too.

Lydia Dalrymple, being a very able sportsman, slotted happily into the role of first post. Her solid catching, quickness of fielding, movement around the post and throwing to fourth post to punish another batsmen was extremely

impressive and certainly very useful.Katya Thomson and Grace Plowden

did not let the pressure get to them as they fielded at second post. With reliable catching, nerves of steel and quickness of stumping both Grace and Katya, when their hair was not in their eyes, stopped numerous half rounders.

Emily Stewart and Lydia McCallum bore the brunt of many hard hitters at third. As they became more confident with their position both Lydia and Emily realised the importance of throwing the ball to second post to stop the half rounder than stumping their own.

Fourth post belonged to player of the season Eritrea Willoughby. She positioned herself in the rounders equivalent to silly point, either catching the batsman out or fielding the ball quickly to get the ball to first for a stumping. Her catching from the deeps was also very impressive as she kept her nerve even though the batsman was getting closer to score a rounder. Eritrea proved herself to be a very talented and useful player.

Moving out to the all important deeps brings us on to Iona Ralph and Honor Douglas Miller at first deep. Both Honor and Iona wasted no time in realising that deeps do not stand still and effectively backed up first and second post making sure that their were no gaps in the chain.

Vanessa Riley roamed the second deep area. At the beginning of the season Ness showed what every rounders coach dreams of – a strong and accurate throw. Every game Ness would shock the opposition by her quickly fielding and throwing the ball straight into Eritrea’s hands to stump the batsman out.

Third deep was fielded by Sophie Robertson who showed great determination in fielding and hitting the ball and took a fantastic catch against Fettes.

With only one unfortunate loss the results speak for themselves. Not only were the team a group of talented girls, they were always motivated, determined, cheerful and a dream to coach.

Tory Hughes

Under 12 Rounders

Playing alongside a talented group of U13 players, these girls have

improved tremendously as the term has progressed.

Sophie captained the team and proved

to be a great fielder and a strong hitter - one to certainly watch out for next year.

Leonora made a super bowler, varying her bowls from fast to slow and with or without spin.

Emily’s catching has improved and the deep fielders Beth, Victoria and

Claire will be boosted next year with some talented U11 players to be coached with.

Well done girls - you certainly have the potential to do well next year.

Back Row: Sophie Robertson : Grace Plowden : Lydia McCallum : Vanessa Riley : Iona Ralph : Honor Douglas Miller

Sitting: Claudia Black : Lydia Dalrymple : Daisy Greville Williams : Francesca Younger

Front: Katya Thompson : Eritrea Willoughby

122

1st Team Rounders

This term the rounders has been rather mixed: great results

when matches have taken place but frustrating to cancel matches due to the bad weather. The girls have really shown what they can do and again, as with the netball, they have remained unbeaten against Scottish Prep Schools.

Two fantastic bowlers in Emma and Patricia, both with different styles, gave away few rounders as no balls and then proved to be equally as talented playing deep fielders. Backstop Kirsty and 1st Post Alex needed to be quick on the uptake with fast and accurate passes. This they certainly were stumping out many non-hitters at 1st post: including their own mothers in their match!

A talented Octavia at 2nd post and Catherine at 3rd post were fast runners and with a good eye for the ball they caught out many players and then stumped out at their posts at the same time. The deep fielders always have a tough job: picking up catches from the good hitters and passing the ball back as accurately as possible. Lucy and Ella found a permanent place in the team with all-round great fielding and Lucy’s left handed batting scored many rounders for the team. Arabella, Eliza and Anna all improved as deep fielders during the term, making some good short catches

and improved their batting.Their first matches as a triangular

tournament saw the Belhaven girls with two victories: Alex, Octavia and Lucy certainly aimed the ball high over the heads of the fielders and scored many rounders. These three girls were chosen to play for the Dandylions A team whilst Catherine, Patricia and Emma played in the B team.

A drive to St. Mary’s in the rain again and the girls knew this match could be close. They had seen how St. Mary’s could play at the trials and were prepared for their good batters. With some of our hits ending up in the shrub, easy rounders were scored and some tight fielding secured a third victory for the girls.

Rain cancelled the Kilgraston Tournament, so there was then a long wait for the next matches. Excited to be on tour for the first time, the girls played a tight match against Terrington, winning by just 3 rounders and they knew that Bramcote would be a tough game the next day.

Playing Bramcote, the fielding and hitting were not up to scratch and this allowed Bramcote to race ahead. The second innings, however, was a mite more even and the fielding was more secure and accurate.

The last match against Ardvreck, as always, was going to be close and unfortunately the lovely Scottish weather

meant the match was cancelled as the ground was too dangerous to play on. The girls did however, manage to play against their mothers in what always proves to be an entertaining match. No surprise, then, that the girls won this match, although the mothers had various male intruders in their team!

Well done girls. Another term full of fun and laughter and some great playing from all of you.

The Team:Octavia Cobb: 2nd Post (captain, colours, Dandylions A)

Kirsty Landale: Backstop

Alex Riley: 1st Post (colours, Dandylions A)

Ella Coleman: Deep Fielder

Catherine Hocknell: 3rd Post (colours, Dandylions B)

Eliza Plowden: Deep Fielder

Patricia Walker: Bowler/Deep (colours, Dandylions B)

Arabella Bradley: 4th post/Deep

Emma Mactaggart: Bowler/Deep (colours, Dandylions B)

Anna Will: Deep Fielder

Lucy Coleman: Deep Fielder (colours, Dandylions A)

Back row: Ella Coleman : Eliza Plowden : Arabella Bradley : Patricia WalkerSitting: Catherine Hocknell : Emma Mactaggart : Octavia Cobb (c) : Alex Riley :

Lucy ColemanKneeling: Kirsty Landale : Anna Will

123

Tennis

The weather in May and June was not conducive to tennis and

practically every event this year has ended with players and spectators continuing stoically in the rain. However, the grass courts have never looked greener, no tournament has had to be cancelled and Mr. Darbyshire has never been prevented from conducting his Wednesday afternoon lessons. The courts have been in busy use in free time and with many outstanding players the overall standard at the top of the school has been higher than ever.

For a second time we hosted a Mixed Doubles Tournament on a Sunday in May. Ardvreck, Belhaven, Craigclowan

and Mowden Hall entered four couples each. The emphasis was on fun and maximum participation rather than a fiercely competitive school competition. After group matches the 1st and 2nd pairs advanced to the quarter-finals of the main competition and the 3rd and 4th pairs to the plate. All four Belhaven pairs made it into the main competition whereupon, by a quirk of the draw, two were knocked out by the other two! Patricia Walker and James Wilson swept on into the final and were then narrowly defeated 3-4 by Eleanor Kemp and Charles Beamish of Craigclowan.

The same pair featured strongly in the school competitions. They won the Mixed Doubles and James Wilson did the treble by being too resilient and

steady for Fergus Black in the final of the singles and pairing Geordie Tulloch to overpower Fergus and Rafe Seymour in the doubles. Alex Riley was too consistent for Patricia Walker in the final of the girls’ singles and together with Octavia Cobb defeated Emma Mactaggart and Lucy Coleman in the doubles. Daisy Greville Williams and a trio of Dalrymples (Lydia, Tom and Peter) were the leading juniors.

Not for the first time the leavers’ family tournament on the final Sunday of term was affected by rain but at least we were spared last year’s washout. After a close encounter with the Tullochs in the semi-finals the Rileys conquered the Blacks in the final.

MO

The Girls Tennis Team who were victorious when playing Loretto.Back: Leonora Campbell : Alex Riley : Patricia Walker : Octavia Cobb :

Emma MactaggartFront: Ella Coleman : Kirsty Landale : Lucy Coleman

124

Golf

A healthy number of pupils took up membership of Winterfield Golf

Club again in April and some took advantage of this very handy facility during the term. More golf will be encouraged in the next two terms to justify the membership fee generously provided by badgered parents. There was also some use of the golf nets outside the end of the sports hall and Fergus Black beat Geordie Tulloch in the putting competition on the final day of term.

The main focus of this report is on the Golf Cup and Belhaven Hill Ryder cup held simultaneously at The Hirsel Golf Club, Coldstream at the end of June. The format was a stableford competition with a “generous” par review of the ten holes to be played. Each competitor was put out in a three ball following a very tense seeded draw. This draw placed each pupil in one of three teams. Scotland, (Captained by that supremely

talented golfer Mr. Harvey). England, (Captained by a golfer aspiring to Mr. Harvey’s high standards, Mr. Pinchin). And finally, South Africa, (Captained by Mr. Townshend).

The journey over was very winding and undulating resulting in some very pale golfers emerging from the bus on arrival. The rain was falling but gradually the resilience of this group took hold and off they went down the first fairway in their threes. The rain just kept falling but nothing would stop these hardy golfers from completing their ten holes with the reward of a bowl of chips awaiting them in the club house.

The final result saw Fergus Black emerge as the clear winner with an impressive 22 points. The nearest challenge was from Paddy Arbuthnott and Alexander Millar who finished with 13 points each. The winning margin illustrates what an accomplished golfer Fergus is becoming and great credit must go to all the competitors for their

fortitude in the wet, particularly Wisha, Alex and Arabella who amassed 8 points between them! A further mention should go to Alasdair Bird who finished with a total of one point! Needless to say he was ever cheerful and thoroughly enjoyed his outing anyway.

The staff played their competitive three-ball up behind the pupils and despite a brave challenge from Pinchin and Townshend, Mr Harvey stole the honours with a flawless ten holes of golf. The school must consider itself very lucky he has not taken up repeated offers to coach Tiger Woods!

Once the stableford totals had been added up, a clear Belhaven Hill Ryder Cup winner emerged in Scotland with 74 points. England finished second with 58 points and South Africa came third with 53 points. Oh if only our international rugby team could emulate such a finishing order - I doubt it somehow!

Mr H

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126

Athletics 2007

Athletics Report 2007

Despite what has been a pretty awful summer term of weather

we managed to get through just about a full athletics programme in curriculum time and, amazingly, we had a fairly decent day for Sports Day. My thanks go to Mr Wilson for the very able and methodical assistance he offered me in delivering the athletics programme and to M. Rullière, Miss Wimbledon and Miss Cowan for their assistance during Games lessons.

The determination shown amongst the pupils to better their previous year’s standards was excellent. 99 points in total were awarded for all blue stickers - 2 points for those who improved in each event or 1 point for those who failed to do so in only one event. When adding the Patrol Sports Day totals together these 99 points had a significant impact on the finishing order. This system allows those less able but fully committed athletes to contribute and once again it worked very well.

Kirsty Landale leaves us this year having improved her standard in every event each year since I started the system in 2003. She is the only pupil in the school to do so and was rightly awarded the newly presented Peile Cup for endeavour as reward for her superb efforts.

Sports Day itself ran like clockwork thanks to the efficiency of staff and pupils and indeed because the weather was kind to us.

At the Junior end of proceedings we had a particularly competitive joust between two outstanding athletes in Ollie Farr and Rosabel Kilgour. They battled hard in every event including the 1500m prior to Sports Day in which they both smashed the previous record by 18 seconds and finished in a dead heat. These two will break all sorts of records in the next four years. They are going to push each other to some very impressive standards and could be joined by some very able athletes just a little way behind them at present. Ollie’s ability to throw was the only defining feature between them and he ended up Junior Champion as a result. Rosabel was runner up, but had a look in her eye as if to tell me things might be different next year!

The Middle Girls’ competition was equally competitive. This group has some very good all-round athletes, but Lydia Dalrymple’s ability to run and jump allowed her to see off a very able challenge, from the ever-competitive and talented Vanessa Riley, and become Middle Girls’ Champion.

The Middle Boys’ competition saw someone who has shown the promise, but not necessarily the motivation, to excel and come to the fore. Peter Dalrymple, an outstanding athlete who

frustrated Mr Banbury last year with his laid back approach, worked really hard this year under a more experienced coach’s eye to become Middle Boys’ Champion! He narrowly pipped the very brave challenge of the ever-willing Tom Galbraith who equalled the high jump record during his campaign with a height of 1.27m.

We were privileged to have two outstanding senior athletes at the top of the school this year.

Records were always going to be under threat on Sports Day from both Alex Riley and Henry Dobson, who had been running faster and throwing further than some of the records during

P.E. and Games lessons. Added to this were the challenges from some very able competitors, who would push these two along nicely.

On the day Alex did break the Senior Girls’ 400m record with a brilliant time of 69.6s and won the 100m, 400m, and Discus to deservedly secure her place as Senior Girls’ Champion over a very capable jumper in Emma Mactaggart who was runner up.

Big “Dobbo” humbly showed some nerves on the day but these only served to spur the big lad on. This outstanding athlete won the 100m, 200m, 400m, High Jump, Triple Jump and Discus to equal “Beeb” Peile’s achievement of a maximum haul of points on the day. Henry broke the Senior Boys’ Discus record with a throw of 29.54m and, despite the Headmaster’s close scrutiny of the staff timekeeper, he broke Christopher Osborne’s outstanding seven year old 100m record by a tenth of a second with a time of 12.7 seconds. Henry performed superbly on the day and saw off the challenge of someone who had awoken from his slumber and whose feet have dangled over the end of his bed these past months - Joell Holland Jenkins.

And so we were extremely grateful that the school’s elite athletes were given the stage on which their abilities deserved to shine. They and their competitors all Busy ladies - when’s it time to

time?

Occy fully focused and determined

Rafe showing good technique.

Alex breaking the 400m record!

127

performed to the best of their abilities and the day felt like it was a wonderful success.

I felt the anticipation of a race horse

trainer when entering several first class horses in to the derby as the I.A.P.S. athletics championships at Fettes approached. Not only did Belhaven Hill have some superb athletes to enter the competition but the relay teams, particularly the Form 5 boys, were polished to perfection. Sadly, the weather finally got its own back for letting us have a great Sports Day and the championships were lost to spasmodic torrential downpours in the capital city.

The athletics season came to a close and I write this report with great pride in a system that caters for the best and the rest. My thanks go to all the pupils for their understanding of why we must

try our best in all we do. In athletics, there is no hiding!

Mr. H.

William Cuthbert reaching impressive heights.

Dhileas throwing discus

Dobbo winning the 200m by quite some margin!

Dobbo winning 4 x 100m ... just

Kit in full flight

Athletics Picture Gallery

Harry aloof or aloft?

Another Dobbo, Olivia, winning!

Alex and Occy. An example to us all in

determination and a great finish.

128

The A TeamKung Fu OccyAll these figures! I wish I had a laptop!

You hold it, I’ll try and fudge the figures. Mr Wilson always on hand to

help!

Senior Girls 800m start. Middle Girls 800m - jostling for position at the start.

Eritrea flying. Ever-smiling Wisha!

129

Vanessa, Iona and Hattie fighting all the way to the finish.

Senior Girls 100m. Fierce competition!

Finn puts a lot of effort in!

Headmaster and Head of Sports struggle with the new technology!

Henry Dobson - new 100m record. Lydia, just in front of Claudia.

Dobbo has a go at the record - but the bar is dislodgedRosabel wins the 75m

130

Angus Tulloch’s speech in reply to the

Headmaster on Sports’ Day

Chairman of the Governors, Headmaster, my Lords, Ladies

and Gentlemen Almost fifty years ago, a dishevelled

seven-year-old boy and his equally dishevelled twin brother, Mungo, arrived at Belhaven. Homesick for most of the first year, we were known, for our sins, as Mungus and Fungus; the bubbly twins.

My main achievement in the five years I spent here was to be beaten with the gym shoe more often than anyone before or after at the school. I was not especially naughty, but I was always caught. I was extremely scruffy, chewed my ties and (ugh) drank ink instead of writing with it. The bane of every prep school teacher’s life … I was always being asked why was I unable to be more like my iconic patrol leader, the immaculately turned out and highly civilized Michael Osborne.

Never, in my wildest dreams, nor in the present headmaster’s worst nightmares, could I (or he ) have imagined one of those scruffy twins would be standing before such distinguished company today, enthusiastically extolling the virtues of Belhaven. With justification the school has always been highly regarded, its dedicated teaching staff providing a solid spiritual foundation, a sound academic education, plenty of opportunities for sport, a strong emphasis on good manners and much more besides. But, over the years, and particularly under the auspices of Michael, it has improved in many ways. Changes for the better include the introduction of showers after games, the demise of the school slipper, a heated swimming pool. Above all the momentous decision to go co-ed has undoubtedly led to a more civilised existence all round.

Of far greater importance is how much happier Belhaven Hill children are now than in my time. To illustrate this point, at the beginning of each term, our parents offered my twin Mungo and me half a crown if we returned to Belhaven without crying; we were never able to

claim it. By contrast I have twice collected sons at the end of term in tears at the prospect of leaving their friends and coming home. (Now that could say more about our boys’ home life than about their prep school life, but I do not think so)….

Headmaster, governors, teachers, auxiliary staff - the Tatties, Christines, Mrs. McLoughlins and Mrs. Roddis’s of this world who work so hard behind the scenes - thanks to you all from all of us here for making Belhaven such a happy place .

Given my keen interest in piping, I would like to thank Mr. McCredie for his enthusiasm and hard work. Fifty years ago, no one, as far as I know, was taught the pipes at Belhaven. We now have 40 pupils learning the chanter, pipes and drums. Today, we have enjoyed their considerable achievements along with those of the Ampleforth Highlanders’ Band, started and largely manned by former pupils of Mr. McCredie.

As a parent who has maintained an interest in the school over many years (sixty terms of school fees no less), I would like to make a couple of observations. When I was a Belhaven pupil, every general election used to be preceded by a mock election in the school… campaigns were organised, posters put up, manifestoes issued, a debate took place and finally all the pupils voted. I admit, it was never perfect, because in those days the Conservatives always won…but it was a lot of fun and served the purpose of introducing Belhaven children to the world of democracy. Headmaster, please may this tradition be reinstated.

On a more serious note, my greatest concern is that a combination of parent power, litigation, regulation, mobile phones and e-mail is going to make it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain teachers of the right calibre here at Belhaven. As parents we can help…. for instance by thinking twice before making a special request or lodging a complaint. Teachers are not infallible.

Those teaching at Belhaven are as well motivated, capable, caring and hard working as any to be found. We, as parents, have to be careful not to make undue demands on them.

After his efforts at my expense at last year’s carol service I feel disinclined to let Liam Harvey off Scot free. One thing that has not

changed is the competitive nature of Belhaven games masters, reflected in their conviction that all referees are biased in the favour of the opposing side. Liam is certainly no exception. A few years ago Belhaven were struggling in a seven-a-side- final at Loretto. Despite glorious tackling and supreme ball handling skills, our team lagged behind by a full ten points. Liam fumed on the side lines. As far as he was concerned the ref.. was not only blind and deaf, but lame too; what’s more he told who ever was listening that he felt that his aged and infirm granny could have done a better job reffing and that he would bring her along to the next match to prove it. A little embarrassed with this outburst, I edged away from Liam but remained within earshot. At the end of the game an irate ref.. approached Liam, who was now trying to look as disinterested as possible. “What was all that barracking about?” demanded the referee. Looking him straight in the eye, Liam responded, “Monstrous behaviour, wasn’t it ref..?” and, pointing at me, continued, “I have had a word with the parent concerned and he assures me that it will never happen again”. Liam, setting aside a few roguish moments, your enthusiasm and determination are an inspiration to us all.

My final and most poignant task today, is to wish good luck to the 2007 Belhaven leavers. In doing so I would like to invoke the words of James Graham, Marquess of Montrose, who fought for what he believed was right throughout his life. Montrose was executed at Edinburgh in 1650. At some point in his remarkable life he wrote:He either fears his fate too much,Or his desserts are smallThat dares not put it to the touchTo win or lose it all

Belhaven Leavers, that means GO FOR IT!

And may god keep you all safe in the palm of his hand for the rest of your lives.

The four brothers - chips off the old block!

131

Sports Day Results 2007

(R = New School Record) 4 x 100 m Relay1. Wolves2. Lions 3. Badgers4. Woodpeckers5. Swallows6. Owls

SENIOR BOYS

100 m1. H J R Dobson (R12.7s) 2. J D L Holland Jenkins3. F G. G Black 200 m1. H J R Dobson (27.2s) 2. J D L Holland Jenkins3. H C P Cobb

400 m1. H J R Dobson (63.3s) 2. F G G Black 3. H C P Cobb

800 m

1. J D R Cochrane (2m 37.06s) 2. G R M Tulloch 3. J F S Wilson

1500 m 1. H J R Dobson (5m 19s) 2. J D R Cochrane 3. J C Kelly

High Jump1. H J R Dobson (1.43m) 2. G R M Tulloch3. W P Cuthbert

Long Jump1. J D L Holland Jenkins (4.71m) 2. F G G Black 3. P A Arbuthnott

Triple Jump1. H J R Dobson (9.95m) 2. F G G Black 3. F L B de Klee

Cricket Ball 1. A R G W Millar (52.60m) 2. F G G Black 3. F L B de Klee

Discus1. H J R Dobson (R29.54m) 2. J D L Holland Jenkins3. F L B de Klee

Shot1. J D L Holland Jenkins (9.22m)2. W P Cuthbert 3. E A Graves

SENIOR GIRLS

100 m1. A E G Riley (13.8s) 2. O F Cobb 3. E M Mactaggart

200 m1. O F Cobb (30.17) 2. K A LAndale 3. L C Coleman

400 m1. A E G Riley (R69.6s) 2. E M Mactaggart 3. P J S Walker

800 m1. P J S Walker (2m 44.8s) 2. E M Mactaggart 3. E A Gladstone

1500 m 1. P J S Walker (5m 43s)2. E M Mactaggart3. K A Landale High Jump 1. L C Coleman (1.31m) 2. K A Landale3. S Gordon Cumming

Long Jump1. E M Mactaggart (3.64m) 2.= O F Cobb L C Coleman

Triple Jump1. K A Landale (8.30m) 2. A E G Riley 3. O F Cobb Rounders Ball 1. L C Coleman (43.00m) 2. A E G Riley 3. O F Cobb

Discus 1. A E G Riley (14.02m) 2. K A Landale3. E M Mactaggart Shot1. E M Mactaggart (6.65m) 2. A E G Riley 3. K A Landale

MIDDLE BOYS

100 m1. P M Dalrymple (14.9s)2. G S Cuthbert3. D A N Forsyth

200 m1. P M Dalrymple (31.9s)2. G S Cuthbert3. D A N Forsyth

400 m1. P M Dalrymple (74.6s)2. G S Cuthbert3. L R J de Klee

800 m1. T H K Stodart (2m 50.38s)2. C D J Rogers3. F D G Rogers

1500 m1. T H K Stodart (5.37.0)2. G A Innes Ker3. A B D Ellis Hancock

High Jump1. T N K Galbraith (=R1.27m)2. G S Cuthbert3. W D J Jack

Long Jump1. T N K Galbraith (3.7m)2. P M Dalrymple3. L R J de Klee Cricket Ball1. T N K Galbraith (47.70m)2. W D J Jack3. A R Johnston

Discus1. P M Dalrymple (15.67m)2. T N K Galbraith3. L R J de Klee

MIDDLE GIRLS

100 m1. O G R Dobson (15.80s)2. H J Harley3. E I Willoughby

Some Old Boy pipers. Now, what are their names?

Wisha throwing the discus. Quite balletic!

132

200 m1. O G R Dobson (34.10s)2. B E Begg3. E I Willoughby

400 m1. L J D H Dalrymple (1m 22.60s)2. P C G Black3. R A Greville Williams

800 m1. V C M Riley (3m 1.72s)2. L J D H Dalrymple3. R A Greville Williams

1500 m1. L J D H Dalrymple (6m 14.0s)2. R A Greville Williams3. V C M Riley

High Jump1. I A Ralph (1.18m)2. L J D H Dalrymple3. H J Harley

Long Jump1. P C G Black (3.13m)2. L J D H Dalrymple3. E I Willoughby

Rounders Ball 1. V C M Riley (43.00m)2. L J D H Dalrymple3. A N Findlay

Discus1. S Robertson (10.79m)2. G K L Plowden3. T M M Tindall

JUNIOR BOYS & GIRLS

75 m1. R K Kilgour (11.80s)2. W T H Plowden3. A H Harley

200 m1. O G T Farr (35.60s)2. W T H Plowden3. K E Gordon Cumming

400 m1. R K Kilgour (77.0s)2. O G T Farr3. A Cookson

1500 m1= O G T Farr (R5m 58s) R K Kilgour 3. W T H Plowden

High Jump1. R K Kilgour (1.00m)2. A H Harley3. G C K Younger

Long Jump1. O G T Farr (2.97m)2. G C K Younger3. A H Harley

Cricket Ball1. O G T Farr (25.80m)2. W T H Plowden3. A J K Douglas Miller

Patrol Cup

1. Wolves 2. Badgers 3. Lions4. Woodpeckers 5. Swallows 6. Owls

Senior boys’ Victor Ludorum:H J R DobsonRunner-up:J D L Holland Jenkins

Senior Girls’ Victor Ludorum:A E G RileyRunner-up:E M Mactaggart

Middle boys’ Victor Ludorum:P M DalrympleRunner-up:T N K Galbraith

Middle Girls’ Victor Ludorum:L J D H DalrympleRunner-up:V C M Riley

Junior Victor Ludorum:O G T FarrRunner-up:R K Kilgour

75m start.

The Pipers.

“It’s quite alright, Alex, I don’t mind if you don’t get your Science

CE - honest!”

To the winner the spoils. Henry Dobson receives the Senior Boys Victor Ludorum

Cup.

Pipe Major McCredie with some old pupils who now play for the Ampleforth Band:

Harry Leeming, Jo de Klee and Hugo Rogers

133

The likelihood of there being any swimming standards to speak

of in this year’s swimming gala was almost totally removed by the reduced

opportunities to use the outdoor pool. All the more impressive then was the remarkable achievements of Alex Riley who arrived from Hong Kong two years ago with

very considerable swimming ability. The

fear was that this talented young athlete might lose technique or swimming fitness this term if she did not swim regularly.

Alex laid to rest any of these concerns by winning all four senior events and by breaking three out of four senior records.

Her results were as follows:Breast Stroke - 1st (14.93)Back Stroke – 1st (13.91 Record)Front Crawl – 1st (10.91 Record)Medley – 1st (46.57 Record)

This outstanding performance won Alex the swimming cup for the second year in succession. This now means that Alex holds 7 out of 8 possible records for Middles and Seniors swimming, a Christopher Osborne of the pool one might say!

There were commendable performances too from seniors such as Kirsty Landale who was runner up in the front crawl and medley and was third in the breast stroke.

A certain Vanessa Riley, also a very talented swimmer from the Orient, dominated the Middles swimming competition winning the back stroke, front crawl and medley with a gutsy Tom Galbraith winning the breast stroke. Credit should also go to a determined and talented swimmer, Sophie Robertson who finished second in all four events.

In the Junior events the main concern was that the enthusiasm of this energetic bunch did not lead to someone entering a race having previously never completed a length of the pool! As it turned out, once again a very talented girl in Grizel Hocknell nearly completed a clean sweep by winning the back stroke, front crawl and medley. Geordie Younger powered his way to victory in the breast stroke and I was grateful that I was not required to use the rescue pole discreetly placed in my hand by the Headmaster at the start of the medley!

The following day produced a very competitive diving competition in which two very talented divers/gymnasts Ella and Lucy Coleman gave the judges a great deal to think about. A final decision was made and all, including the Belhaven “Trumpet” Miss Cowan, were sworn to secrecy until Prize giving where Ella was awarded the cup. The school secretary beamed with pride, as did a very proud twin sister Lucy as Ella proudly received her prize from the Headmaster.

The Patrol Relay followed and Badgers ended up the victors with the water level in the pool halved due to some “interesting” racing dives from many of the competitors!

Mr H

Even the boys have to look the part!

Somebody winning ahead of the splashing chasers!

Ooops! Judge not impressed!“If that’s what you call a dive, I’ll eat my whistle!”

Judges just can’t bear to look!

Swimming Report

The high standard of diving in the final.

Ella’s final dive

134

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Swimming Gala

Thursday 10th May 2007

What a triumph!!Our first gala and we returned with a

Relay Plate and a medal each!The team, consisting of Ella & Lucy

Coleman, Grace Plowden, Iona Ralph, Nessie Riley and Sophie Robertson with Squeaky Campbell as the ‘friendly mascot’ all competed fiercely throughout the afternoon.

The first half of the races were Freestyle with Belhaven coming 1st in the second heat of the Freestyle Relay and 2nd in the Cannon Relay where all swimmers

competed. The race lived up to its name as the girls sped up and down the length of the pool as though they had just been fired out of a cannon! Mrs Plowden, Mrs Robertson, Mrs Coleman and myself sprayed with water as the teams raced hard.

The second half of the gala began with the Medley Relay, Grace pushed off into a Backstroke start, Sophie back up the pool with Breaststroke, Nessie dived in for a lap of Butterfly and Lucy swam Freestyle to finish us in 1st place (again!) At this point all the Belhaven Mummies were standing on the edge of the pool side cheering the swimmers on!

After a banana break, Grace, Sophie and Nessie each went on to swim an individual 2 length race in Back, Breast and Freestyle winning a further 2 races and one 2nd place.

None of us could believe just how well we were doing and after so little practice here in the rain!

The finals were announced and we competed for the two plates, coming 2nd place in the Medley Relay and 1st in the Freestyle winning the Ian Lemmon Plate.

Several Mars Bars later, the girls arrived home, WELL DONE!!!

EC

Now full of Mars Bars!Back: Leonora Campbell : Iona Ralph : Vanessa Riley : Grace PlowdenFront: Sophie Robertson : Ella Coleman : Lucy Coleman

135

Leaders and Patrols

AUTUMN TERM 2006Head Boy: H. C. P. CobbHead Girl: K. A. LandaleCaptain of Rugby: G. R. M. TullochCaptain of Netball: P. J. S. Walker

Patrols:Badgers K. A. Landale, F. L. B. de Klee 504Woodpeckers H. C. P. Cobb, A. C. Will 484Owls H. J. R. Dobson, A. E. G. Riley 463Lion G. R. M. Tulloch, O. F. Cobb 461Swallow H. J. G. Rettie, F. G. G. Black, P. J. S. Walker 445Wolves H. J. R. Dobson, A. E. G. Riley 442

SPRING TERM 2007Head Boy: G. R. M. TullochHead Girl: A. E. G. RileyCaptain of Boys’ Hockey: H. C. P. CobbCaptain of Girls’ Hockey: A. E. G. Riley

Patrols:Badgers K. A. Landale E. M. Mactaggart, C. D. A. Ralph 458Lions O. F. Cobb, P. A. Arbuthnott 436Wolves D. F. H. Dalrymple, E. M. R. Plowden 420Woodpeckers H. C. P. Cobb, A. H. Ward, T. G. G. Moynan 419Swallows H. J. G. Rettie, P. J. S. Walker, A. S. W. Bird 411Owls E. A. Graves, C. E. Hocknell 398

SUMMER TERM 2007Head Boy: F. G. G. BlackHead Girls: E. M. R. PlowdenCaptain of Cricket: F. G. G. BlackCaptain of Rounders: O. F. Cobb

Patrols:Badgers K. A. Landale, E. M. Mactaggart J. F. S. Wilson 568Owls A. J. Bradley, J. C. M Hardie 532Wolves A. E. G. Riley, J. D. L. Holland Jenkins 529Swallows H. J. G. Rettie, P. J. S. Walker 522Lions G. R. M. Tulloch, O. F. Cobb 519Woodpeckers H. C. P. Cobb, A. C. Will 504

Prizes and Awards

AUTUMN 2006Form 1o Form Prize H. C. P. CobbForm 1g Form Prize J. C. M. HardieForm 2h Form Prize C. V. JoiceyForm 2p Form Prize L. C. ColemanForm 3g Form Prize L. C. McCallumForm 3p Form Prize C. W. E. Cough Good Work E. C. StewartForm 4h Form Prize F. D. G. RogersForm 4w Form Prize T. M. M. Tindall Good Work V. M. JoiceyForm 5 Form Prize G. C. K. Younger, Rugby Forwards H. C. P. Cobb Outsides G. R. M. Tulloch

Tackling G. R. M. Tulloch Kicking G. R. M. Tulloch Under 11 A. B. D. de la C. Ellis-HancockNetball O. F. Cobb A. E. G. Riley Most Improved Player A. J. Bradley Shooting P. J. S. Walker Under 11 D. E. Greville Williams

Mansfield Music Cup WoodpeckersSpoken English J. J. MacAulay D. E. Greville Williams A. B. D. de la C. Ellis-Hancock

SPRING TERM 2007Boys’ Hockey G. R. M. TullochGirls’ Hockey C. E. HocknellBoys’ Cross Country H. J. R. DobsonGirls’ Cross Country P. J. S. WalkerTable Tennis F. G. G. BlackJunior Table Tennis T. H. K. StodartSkiing J. C. M. HardieChess F. L. B. de KleeJunior Chess J. L. de KleeBackgammon R. C. SeymourDraughts F. L. B. de KleeMastermind C. V. JoiceyActing O. F. Cobb C. E. Hocknell P. J. S. Walker P. A. Arbuthnott J. J. MacAulay

SUMMER TERM 2007Form 1o Form Prize E. M. R. Plowden Maths J. D. L. Holland Jenkins Science A. C. Will R.S. A. H. Ward French J. F. S. Wilson Latin J. F. S. Wilson C. E. P. J. S. WalkerForm 1g Form Prize T. G. G. Moynan Maths E. M Mactaggart History A. R. G. W. Millar Latin H. J. G. Rettie C. E. A. E. G. Riley Good Work D. F. H. DalrympleForm 2h Form Prize C. V. Joicey History M. A. K. Barnes Maths V. S. Erskine English J. H. Gladstone Geography J. D. R. Cochrane Form 2p Form Prize L.C. Coleman English R. J. Gladstone Geography S. Gordon Cumming Form 3p Form Prize V. C. M. Riley History G. K. L. Plowden English L. C. McCallum Maths P. M. Dalrymple Form 3g Form Prize L. M. Ferrand History P. C. G. Black Geography E. C. Stewart English A. B. de la C. Ellis Hancock

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Form 4h Form Prize F. D. G. Rogers Science L. M. Seymour Latin/French O. C. Erskine Form 4w Form Prize T. M. M. Tindall French A. J. A. Rettie English I. Y. Brooks Good Work L. M. Ferrand Form 5 Form Prize G. L. K. Younger Maths W. A. H. Dirkin English S. V. I. Benson French W. R. D. de la C. Ellis Hancock Science A. Cookson Todd Quaich R. K. KilgourMonod French H. C. P. Cobb de Fontmichel History A. J. BradleySimpson English O. F. CobbWeld Forester Scripture A. S. W. BirdConran-Smith Geography Fieldwork E. M. R. Plowden Leslie Melville K. A. Landale G. R. M TullochArt Cup E. M Mactaggart Holiday Art J. J. MacAulay Music Cup J. F. S. Wilsonde la Haye Endeavour E. M. R. PlowdenPrizes J. C. M Hardie L. L. C. Hardie C. E. Hocknell V. M. Joicey J. J. MacAulay Piping Quaich F. G. G. BlackPrizes P. A. Arbuthnott H. J. G. RettieGardening I. S. RalphBatting F. G. G. BlackBowling F. G. G. Black Fielding G. R. M. TullochMost Improved Cricketer A. S. W. Bird Single Wicket F. G. G. Black Under 11 T. N. K Galbraith Double Wicket G. P. D. de la C. Ellis Hancock : G. R. M. TullochRounders O. F. Cobb Most Improved Player K. A. Landale Under 11 E. I. Willoughby Croquet H. J. R. DobsonGolf F. G. G. Black Putting F. G. G. BlackSwimming A. E. G. RileyDiving E. F ColemanTennis Boys Singles J. F. S. Wilson Doubles G. R. M. Tulloch J. F. S. Wilson Girls Single A. E. G. Riley Doubles O. F. Cobb A. E. G. Riley

Mixed Doubles J. F. S. Wilson P. J. S. Walker Junior Boys Singles T. A. J. Dalrymple Doubles G. A. Innes Ker T. H. K. Galbraith Junior Girls Singles D. E. Greville Williams Doubles L. J. D. H. Dalrymple : D. E. Greville WilliamsSenior Boys Victor Ludorum H. J. R. Dobson Senior Girls Victor Ludorum A. E. G. RileyMiddle Boys Victor Ludorum P. M. DalrympleMiddle Girls Victor Ludorum L. J. D. H. DalrympleJunior Victor Ludorum O. G. T. Farr Patrol Sports Wolves

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137

Old Pupils’ News

James Monro is living in Brazil and brother Charlie is in Edinburgh making pebble mosaics.

Jeremy Learoyd is married with two children and living in Surrey where he works for an event management company, organising conferences around the world.

Andrew Nairn is living in Texas (2205 Euclid Avenue, Austin!) and working on a mixture of product and

digital media design projects for an interesting company called Frog Design. Brother Alexander was married last September and is living in Australia for a few years. On their way out there

they spent three months on a voluntary project in Madagascar building a fresh water drinking system for a remote community, and living in a mud hut with the village chieftain.

He reports that Tom Straker is a qualified electrician in London and ‘doing very well for himself ’.

Still with Agence France Press, Andrew Gully was needed in Hong Kong and so never got to Afghanistan; he is now in Paris.

James Callander has been selected as the Tory candidate for Hamilton North and Bellshill at the next General Election.

Of the Flockharts, Alexander is working on an engineering project with a small specialist firm, Angus has graduated from Edinburgh with a 2:1 and is spending a year in Milan studying Design, and Henry is in his third year of biosciences with a preference for genetics.

Harry Reeves is working in London for Artemis Investments.

John Hurst is in Cardiff and has started his own business; it helps small new enterprises to develop their sales processes.

Having studied Agricultural Land Management at Cirencester, Edward Tennant has graduated to London and is working in the City for UBS Global Asset Management.

Barney Campbell has graduated from Oxford, having appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s television programme, and is now at Sandhurst in Charlie de la Haye’s father’s college.

Charlie de la Haye is reading History at Aberdeen. He is playing rugby, is in the OTC with Alistair Robb, and has moved into a flat that was previously occupied by Freddie Weld Forester, who has now graduated in History of Art.

Andrew Spence has graduated from Newcastle with a 1st in Naval Architecture.

Hugo Lee got a 1st from Oxford Brookes and is now rowing full-time and doing a distance learning postgrad.

Hamish Burt has gained an M.B.A. in America and his brother Angus has started an internet company.

Archie Tulloch is at Edinburgh, cousin Douglas at Exeter and Sophie Agnew, Fi McDougall and Jonathan Barber at St. Andrews.

Dan Balfour, ‘ever more the passionate car man’, has ‘started again’ at Newcastle.

Tom Parry has spent part of the year in Argentina ‘enduring cheap fillet steak’ and part in France; Robbie is at Bristol UWE with Jamie Fraser. Tom Fraser is going to Leeds.

Kyle de Klee is at Oxford Brookes and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

David Woodcock is now in the 4th hockey XI at Durham; he and Nick Hodgson are planning to undertake a rally from Calais to Krakow, and back again, in a car that cost £100. The practice that Nick got on the school tractor on his final night at Belhaven should come in useful.

Thomas Lefebvre has finished his MBA at the Harvard Business School and is now ‘enslaved’ in New York by Morgan Stanley. Geoffroy has two most delightful daughters and is starting the INSEAD MBA programme, first at Fontainebleau, then in Singapore. Hadrien is following his brothers in focusing on sciences and maths in preparation for the ‘grandes écoles’ system. ‘Thanks to Mr. Harvey’, he is

captain of his rugby XV.

News from Senior Schools:

AmpleforthCharlie Bowes-Lyon has been Head

Monitor and Pipe Major (one of five Belhaven old pupils to be so this year) and Hector Tulloch Captain of Rugby. This coming year Ivan de Klee is to be Head Monitor and Hewie Dalrymple Head of House. The pipe band is very largely made up of Belhaven Old Boys and Charlie won The Major Bryan Robinson Shield, Hector The Rigg Salver and Magnus Arbuthnott The Black Watch Quaich Trophy. Jo de Klee has ‘thrown himself into the theatre life of the school’. He was the girl friend of his brother Ivan in the house play; he represented Gluttony in another; and was one of the leads in the junior play, The Matchmaker. The younger Hewie Dalrymple went on the Under 14 rugby tour to South Africa.

BedalesGrace Warde-Aldam finds it really

nice being able to call staff by their Christian names – so much easier to concentrate on what they’re saying.

Downe HouseAmber Graham-Watson was in the

1st lacrosse team that won the National Tournament two years running, and has gained three As and two Bs at AS and been offered a place at Oxford to read Economics and Management.

EtonCharlie Landale gained four As at

AS and has been Head of House. He was also in the 1st VIII that reached the semi-finals of the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley. Charlie Carnegie was Pipe Major and led the band at the Albert Hall. Guy MacInnes-Manby has gained another distinction and been in the As for rugby, hockey and athletics, excelling particularly at the hurdles and 100 metres. Nicky Sinclair is ‘very happy’ and in the rugby As.

FettesOliver Graves was a school prefect

and a ‘major contributor’ to the life of the political society. Clare Tyndall was a star in Les Miserables, has spent part of her gap year in Australia and France and is going to Leeds to read comparative

Alex and Andrew

Turning on the tap in Iboaka

138

studies. Charis gained four A*s and four As at GCSE and India was captain of a ‘useful’ U14 hockey side.

Christopher Kinloch is Head of House and a school prefect. He has been captaining the 1st XV and playing for the Scotland U18 side and the Scotland Sevens team in New Zealand and Los Angeles. Ross Turner has played for the Scotland Under 16s and won the senior piping competition.

GlenalmondChristopher Sleigh and Christopher

Wilson have left, having been prefects and excelled at 1st XV rugby and 1st XI hockey and cricket respectively. The former has spent part of his gap year in Australia.

Hugo Saunders won gold and Angus Walker (now in the 3rd XV) silver in the UK Mathematics Challenge. Sophie Sleigh has moved from Loretto. Rosanna McCallum won a progress prize in the Third Form. Vanessa Rettie has played rounders for Scotland and was in the U15 lacrosse XII that played in the National Schools’ Tournament at Sherborne. Alexander Thomson is having ‘lots of fun’ and was in the rugby Bs.

GordonstounOlivia Collie has left and is going to

Leeds to read Classics.

HarrowJamie Scott gained three As at A

Level and has spent part of his gap year working in London and part in South America. Freddie Ward got four As at AS and has been Pipe Major. Hugh Carnegie has come top in his year at Biology and Mandarin and has taken up polo.

LorettoSophia Dalrymple and Nicola

Tulloch have left after being in the hockey, lacrosse and tennis teams. Sophia also played lacrosse for Junior Scotland and was Head of House, and is going to study Psychology at Newcastle. Nicola has spent six months of her gap year teaching in Kenya and is going to Edinburgh College of Art. Edward Cox is enjoying much success with his band, The Hurricanes.

MerchistonDougie Humphrey has spent his gap

year as a Student Assistant in Australia and is going to read International Business Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. He was a prefect, a spin bowler in the 1st XI and senior saxophonist in the jazz

band. Kyle Smith and Rhu Wishart continue to feature in cricket and rugby teams.

OundleKyle White was Captain of Golf and

2nd XI football and in pipe band; he is travelling to South Africa, Thailand and India in his gap year, then perhaps Oxford Brookes. Alice Callander was a House Prefect and School Photographer, gained two As and a B at A Level and is going to study Psychology at Durham after a ski season and work in India. William Callander has been Pipe Major and he and William Dalrymple played the bagpipes in the Lord Mayor of London’s parade.

Queen Margaret’s, YorkKaty Will obtained three As at A

Level and is now studying medicine at St. Andrews. Hero Dalrymple got four As at AS, has just been Deputy Head Girl and won the A2 prize for Art. Annie Galbraith, recently appointed Deputy Head of House, and Rosanna McGuinness each got nine GCSEs of which three were As. Alethea Osborne has won a place at Atlantic College in Wales for Sixth Form.

Louisa Willoughby has been in the rounders A team and is doing well at the Long and Triple Jumps. Henrietta Hocknell has been in two Drama performances, taken Grade 5 flute and won a prize for Achievement. Camelia Dickson won her year’s Goodwill prize.

RadleyFrederick Moynan was senior winner

of Declamations, in the 1st hockey XI, led the 1st cricket XI ‘brilliantly’, spent part of his gap year in Australia, and is going to Durham. Angus Dickson held the defence together in the Junior Colts 2 hockey XI and played for the golf team. He and William Garnock have recently been playing tennis for the school. Tom Greville Williams and Rory Baynes played hockey for Midgets 1 and Tom cricket for Midgets 2 and Junior Colts 1.

RugbyEdmund Hendry and Archie

Balfour have left. Edmund has been in Fiji during his gap year teaching and living with the village tribal chief a.k.a. the Headmaster. He is now going to Newcastle to read Classical Studies. Iain Drummond has joined the Army section of the C.C.F. because it has the best uniform, taken up the bass electric guitar and won a prize for French.

St. Mary’s, CalneSusie Baillie-Hamilton gained two

As and a B at A Level and a merit at Grade 7 voice and is taking a gap year; four of sister Isobel’s GCSEs were As. Clementina Elphinstone gained four As at AS and a prize for Geography and has been Deputy Head Girl this year. Emily Fortune has moved to Giggleswick for A Level and is in the 2nd hockey team and off on a netball tour to Granada.

St. Mary’s, AscotMarina Cochrane has been playing

county netball for Berkshire.

SherborneWilliam Ayles is ‘loving things even

if George Kelly has been in the year below’; he is making a small profit every week by running a taxi service from his house to the pitches.

ShrewsburyAlexander Beaumont ‘bounced

around interchangeably’ in Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector.

StoweJosephine Peile says that Stowe and

its grounds are ‘amazing’. She is in the top Maths set and playing lacrosse.

Strathallan:Freddie Coleman has been playing

much representative cricket for Scotland and the East, with tours to Spain and South Africa, where he scored a century in the first match. He has also won The Young Cavaliers’ Special Youth Award and the U14 District Festival Batting Award.

UppinghamEmily Jack has come from Downe

House for Sixth Form, having obtained six A*s and five As at GCSE. Mary McDougall is moving to Loretto for Sixth Form.

WinchesterDuncan Stewart gained 10 A*s at

GCSE and has been appointed Head of House for next year.

St. Hilda’s, Queensland, Australia

Alex Ovett is house sports captain and, at the age of 15, Georgie won the open 100 metres and broke the school record. She is training with the region and state teams.

139

ObituariesIt is with regret that we record the following deaths:

Antony S. Chambers (1927-31) was the last member of his family to run the publishing firm of W. & R. Chambers. He went to Harrow before joining the family firm in 1936. When war broke out he enlisted as an officer in the Lothian and Border Yeomanry and was taken prisoner at St. Valéry. “Characteristically, he made light of his subsequent captivity, asserting that the privations of his PoW camp – where he became an accomplished knitter of socks into gloves for winter and the reverse for summer – meant little to an Old Harrovian.” After the war he returned to Edinburgh and ran the publishing business in a traditional, enlightened and compassionate way, resisting corporate seizure for 50 years until it was finally taken over by Hachette in 2006.

John S. Cairns (1938-43) went to Glenalmond and then became a chartered accountant. After working with British Tar Distillers he founded Heatheryford Fishery, in a disused gravel pit in Kinross-shire, and the Grouse and Claret restaurant.

Charles B. Barr-Sim (1940-43) went on to Fettes.

The Rev. Malcolm R. M. Wilson (1940-43) went to Winchester and Edinburgh Theological College and was ordained priest in 1960. He began his ministry in Dumbarton, spent a year in India with the Scottish Episcopal Church Mission, and then served as Rector in a number of parishes in Newport-on-Tay, Tayport and in and around Glasgow. From the Episcopal Church magazine: “Malcolm was a pastoral priest with a strong faith. He was really interested in people and devoted much time to visiting. He was a family man who took both his sons’ weddings and baptized all of his eleven grandchildren. He was a good linguist and loved music, playing the clarinet and piano. In November 2005 Malcolm was diagnosed with cancer. A long and very difficult journey then followed, which he endured with great courage. He had thought that he might have a quiet funeral but the service was very well-attended indeed, dignified and memorable. May he rest in peace.”

David A. (Lord) Balgonie (1962-66) died in an avalanche whilst skiing in Switzerland. He went to Eton and Sandhurst, where he received the Sword of Honour, before joining the Queens’ Own Highlanders. He served in Germany and Northern Ireland and then became the director of a timber company in Hertfordshire. He returned to Scotland in 1998 to take over the running of the family estate at Glenferness. His brother Archie (1965-71) was also at Belhaven.

Engagements

Alexander Crawford to Nicola Diamond

Alexander Church to Lucy Owen

Edward McCulloch to Claire Jackaman

Marriages

Rupert Harding-Newman to Georgina Pope

Stuart McNicol to Joanna Swan

John Hurst to Sarah-Louise Moore

Charlie Scott Plummer to Poppy Keswick

Alexander Elphinstone to Nicola Hall

Births

To David and Louisa Stewart Howitt, a daughter

To Adrian and Katie Ivory, a daughter

To Adam and Maria Sofia Bruce, a son

To Tom and Louisa Scott, a son

To Mark and Kirsten Younger, a daughter

To Jonathan and Cecilia Osborne, a son

To Nicholas and Clarke Osborne, a son

Traditional “End of Term” Poem(Belhaven Hill in the 1930s)

No more Latin, no more French,No more bending over the bench

No more insects in my teaMaking googly eyes at me

No more spiders in my bathTrying hard to make me laugh

No more boring cricket matchesAll we do is drop the catches

No more walks along the sands,Soaking socks and frozen hands.

No more horrid History ChartWith beating if not learned by heart.

Caldwell, Mason, Leatherdale and SimsStretching both our minds and limbs.

Yet once the hols are almost doneFor all their feasting and their funI know that many of us willBe happy to be back at dear Belhaven Hill.

with additional verses 5 - 8A.H.M. Kirk-Greene (1934 - 38)

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As School Accountants over many years, evengenerations, Chiene + Tait CA also specialise in:

+ Family accountancy: tax returns: tax planning and sound financial planning.

+ Business accountancy: accounts, ongoingsupport and financial advice together withtax advice.

We deal regularly with school fee planningstrategies and related tax and financial issues.

Why not give one of our partners, JamieYounger, a call on 0131 558 5800 for an exploratory meeting and see how you wouldbenefit?

We add up to morethan just accountants

George Ellis Hancock Hugh Rettie Emma Mactaggart

Geordie Tulloch

Eliza Plowden

Octavia Cobb

Anna Will

Arabella Bradley Emma Mactaggart

Frederick de Klee

Kirsty Landale

Octavia Cobb

John MacAulay

Alex Riley

Alex Riley

Arabella Bradley

Catherine Hocknell

Alasdair Bird

Catherine Hocknell

Anna Will

BELHAVEN HILL BUGLE

2006 - 2007

Published by Creative Link, North Berwick 01620 893690

The Front Cover Eagle was designed by John MacAulay

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